The former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, has met with the military coup leaders in the Republic of Niger amid international pressure to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
Sanusi, who was also a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) met the military leadership on Wednesday after the junta aborted a meeting with representatives of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).
The footage of the Sanusi’s meeting with the West African country’s coupists surfaced on social media, with the efforts to end the crisis in Nigeria’s neighbouring state.
Recall that a delegation raised by ECOWAS Chairman, President Bola Tinubu led by former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd) could not broker peace with the military rulers as they declined a meeting.
But on Wednesday, footage of Sanusi, whose Tijjaniya sect has a large following in Niger, went into circulation.
Sanusi, who is the Khalifa of the sect in Nigeria and a respected Nigerian economist met the Junta leaders in the company of the Sultan of Damagaran. Damagaran is the third largest city in Niger.
According to Daily Trust, sources revealed that Sanusi was in Niger to see a possibility of ending the crisis through negotiations.
“His Highness took the trip in his personal capacity but with the knowledge of President Bola Tinubu following his concerns about the impasse and the likely consequences it is already having on Nigeria/Niger relations and the citizens of the two countries,” a source to Daily Trust.
Meanwhile, Tinubu had scheduled a meeting for Thursday after the 7-day ultimatum that ECOWAS issued for the reinstatement of Bazoum expired.
The regional bloc had slammed sanctions on Niger and threatened a possible military option, a move that was widely rejected, especially in Nigeria.