"ECOWAS Mission Dispatched to Niger Republic by President Tinubu"

President Bola Tinubu has revealed that an ECOWAS mission was dispatched to Niger Republic to intervene in response to an attempted coup in the country. The announcement came after a meeting between President Tinubu and President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

President Talon was specifically entrusted by ECOWAS to swiftly proceed to Niger, which has been identified as the region's most coup-prone country. As the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Head of States and Government, Tinubu emphasized the organization's commitment to discourage any undemocratic change of government orchestrated by the military in West Africa.

This intervention follows a previous meeting a fortnight ago, during which Tinubu and the Presidents of Niger and Benin assigned President Talon to lead an ECOWAS delegation to Mali and Burkina Faso, both facing military control.

According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the attempted coup in Niger Republic took place early on Wednesday, with the presidential guards reportedly holding President Mohamed Bazoum hostage at the presidential palace in Niamey.