Three Nigerien ministers and the leader of President Bazoum's party arrested

Niger's ministers of Oil, Mines and Transport, as well as the leader of the ousted president's party, Mohamed Bazoum, have been detained, according to police sources.

They are Sani Issoufou Mahamadou, Minister of Oil and son of former President Mahamadou Issoufou (2011-2021); Ousseini Hadizatou Yacoub, Minister of Mines; Alma Oumaru, Minister of Transport, and Foumakoye Gado, Chairman of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNSD).

According to the same sources, several more people from the PNSD, the party in power in Niger until the military coup a few days ago, were also arrested for posting messages on social networks calling for resistance.

The Nigerian coup board asked citizens in the last hours not to use social networks to “transmit information and political messages likely to disturb public order”, under threat of arrest.

In networks, former president Issoufou also stated that he was negotiating to obtain the release of President Bazoum, held since last day 26 by the coup junta in the Presidential Palace of Niamey, and “to restore him to his functions.”

On the other hand, the transitional president of Chad, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, shared this morning the first photograph of the deposed president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, since the military coup that country suffered last Wednesday.

As reported by himself through the social network Twitter, Déby Itno met with Bazoum in the Nigerien capital, Niamey.