Nigerien security forces have arrested dozens of soldiers after putting down a mutiny that broke out in Niamey, the country’s capital, according to the Associated Press.
State broadcaster RTN aired footage showing dozens of detainees, most of them young soldiers, following the clashes that rocked several parts of the capital for hours before troops loyal to the government regained control.
AFP reported that a number of the mutineers were killed when the presidential guard moved to retake Air Base 101. Nigerien authorities have yet to release official figures on casualties or the total number of people detained.
The uprising began in the early hours of August 29, when a faction of soldiers attempted to seize colleagues at Air Base 101 and opened fire on several strategic locations across Niamey, Defense Minister Salifou Modi said.
In a related twist, Russia’s ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropaev, told TASS that Nigerien troops had appealed to Russia’s African Corps — deployed at Air Base 101 within the Niamey airport complex — for assistance during the unrest.
Authorities say the capital has since returned to normal, with the Niger Press Agency confirming that calm has been restored across the city.
READ ALSO:
- Tertiary Institutions Must Now Participate in National Ranking, FG Declares
- Governor Dauda Lawal Mourns Sarkin Zamfaran Zurmi, Alhaji Bello Sulaiman
- IPOB Threatens Election Boycott, Gives FG 14 Days to List Kanu’s Appeal
- 2027: Opposition Parties Propose Single Four-Year Term to Stop Tinubu
- FG Bars MDAs from Redeploying Pool Officers Without Approval Amid Fake Agency Crackdown
