Don’t allow US, France use you to attack Niger Republic – El-Zakzaky warns Tinubu

The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as ‘Shi’ites’ has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to reconsider his planned attack on Niger Republic.

According to the Shi’ites leader, the people of Niger “are our brothers”.

El-Zakzaky made the rallying call in a statement on Monday, August 7, while reacting to the threat made by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that it could resort to the use of military action to reinstall the ousted democratically elected leader in Niger, Mohamed Bazoum.

He said the cultural ties that have existed between the two countries have made them one family, noting that they were not consulted before taking such a decision and therefore they cannot support it.

According to him: “All of a sudden, France and the US want to use Nigeria to attack Niger. This is very shocking given the fact that Nigeria and Niger are one people.

“Even if southern Nigeria does not see it that way, we in northern Nigeria had empires founded by Shehu Usman Danfodio and Kanem Borno. It was the territories of such empires that were carved out to create Niger and Nigeria.

“I once told you Gazargamu is the capital of Kanem Borno, right? The fortification of the city is intact because there still exist remnants of the buildings. It may interest you to note that half of the fortification is on the Nigerien side of the border and the rest is in Nigeria. When our borders were partitioned, they did not take our history into cognizance.

He also stressed that “the cultural ties that Niger and Nigeria share are closer than people imagine”