‘Don’t allow US, France use Nigeria to attack Niger’, El-Zakzaky cautions Tinubu

Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shi’ite, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu not to allow foreign countries like the United States and France to use Nigeria and ECOWAS to attack Niger Republic in a bid to restore democratic rule following the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup.

El-Zakzaky who made the call in a statement on Wednesday, alleged that the foreign countries who have vested interest in the West African country are trying to use Nigeria to spearhead an attack on Niger.Stressing the need for caution, the Shiites leader said Tinubu should reconsider the planned military intervention in Niger with the understanding that “Nigeria and Niger are one going by history.”

“All of a sudden, France and the US want to use Nigeria to attack Niger,” the Islamic cleric said in the statement.

“This is very shocking given the fact that Nigeria and Niger are one people. It was the territories of such empires that were carved out to create Niger and Nigeria.

Read also: El-Zakzaky slams US over Middle East violence, remembers slain Iranian army commander

“We are twin brothers, sharing the same roots and values. It is unimaginable that we would one day end up fighting against each other.

“It is shocking that these ruthless people want to use this country to attack our brothers, just to engage in fratricidal genocide.

“The cultural ties that Niger and Nigeria share are closer than people imagine. The territories of empires founded by Shehu Usman Danfodio and Kanem Borno were carved out to create Niger and Nigeria. They did not take our history into cognizance when our borders were partitioned,” he added.

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