Niger military says late night escape bid of President Bazoum thwarted
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Bazoum, in August reportedly said that he had been kept in isolated without electricity and is forced to eat dry rice and pasta.
Niger military, which toppled the government and took over in July, said Thursday (Oct 19) that it thwarted an escape bid by deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
Military spokesperson Amadou Abdramane reportedly said, “At around three in the morning, the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and his family, his two cooks and two security elements, tried to escape from his place of detention.”
As per Niger’s military government, Bazoum allegedly plotted to flee to neighbouring Nigeria in a late-night escape attempt. He is being held in custody for nearly three months following his ouster in a coup.
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The security accomplices reportedly looked after the transport which was planned to take the president on the outskirts of Niger’s capital Niamey. From there, the president was supposed to be flown out in two helicopters which allegedly belonged to a "foreign power."
“The prompt reaction of the defence and security forces made it possible to thwart this plan to destabilise our country,” a junta spokesperson said. He added that “the main perpetrators and some of their accomplices have been arrested.”
It is not certain as to what is Bazoum's current location. After the military takeover, which has now been declared as a coup, the deposed Niger leader did not resign from his position.
He had been placed under house arrest since the day of the takeover on 27 July.
Bazoum in August reportedly informed CNN that he had been kept by the military in isolation. He also claimed that he is kept in dire circumstances without electricity and, is forced to eat dry rice and pasta.
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Lawyers for Niger’s ousted president called for his immediate release and also rejected the claims of his escape bid.
"We strongly reject these fabricated accusations against president Bazoum," Mohamed Seydou Diagne, coordinator of a lawyers' collective, said in a statement.
The lawyers said that he is being held "incommunicado" and it is nothing but "a new red line which has been crossed by a junta which continues to violate the fundamental rights of our client". Ever since the coup, France has supported Bazoum and urged for his release.
(With inputs from agencies)
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