Gunfire Heard Near Niger’s Presidency —Report

There was gunfire in the early hours of Wednesday around the residence of the president’s official and offices, days before the new president Mohamed Bazoum is due to take office.

A resident of Naimey’s Plateau district that spoke with Nigeria News said, “It was around 3.00 am, we heard shots from heavy and light weapons and it lasted 15 minutes before stopping, followed by shots from light weapons.”

“The gunfire lasted about 20 minutes,” another resident said.

An online newspaper, actuniger.com notes that calm had returned by around 4.00 am.

In some videos spotted online, sporadic shooting could be heard in the pitch dark.

As at the time of filing this report, no official has released a statement on the development.

The reported shooting comes ahead of Bazoum’s scheduled inauguration on Friday.

The former interior minister and right-hand man of outgoing president Mahamadou Issoufou, Bazoum’s victory in the second round of the election on February 2 was confirmed by the constitutional court this month.

The results were contested by Bazoum’s rival, former president Mahamane Ousmane, who claimed he was the real winner.

Ousmane had called for “peaceful marches” across the country, but a planned opposition protest Wednesday in the capital Niamey was banned a day earlier by authorities.