Nigeria cuts off power supply to Niger over coup

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the cutting off of power supply to Niger republic.

TUC Kano State sub-region Public Relations Officer, Adam Umar El-yandiski, confirmed the news to Channels Television via phone call.

According to him, the connection that supplies power to Niger Republic comes directly from the national grid, therefore it has no connection with the supply of power to any region in the country.

The move was part of pressure on the country’s coup leaders.

Meanwhile, a source in Niger’s power company, Nigelec, said Nigeria had cut electricity to its neighbour as a result of the sanctions.

West Africa’s regional bloc on Wednesday said a military intervention in junta-ruled Niger was “the last resort”.

As ex-colonial power France sent in a fifth plane to evacuate its citizens, coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani insisted they had no reason to quit the country.

Joining the departures, the United States ordered a partial evacuation of its embassy in Niamey.

West African military chiefs were meeting in Nigeria’s capital Abuja to frame a response while a delegation was in Niger for negotiations, a week after the coup that shook the fragile nation.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders on Sunday imposed trade and financial sanctions, giving the coup leaders a week to reinstate Niger’s democratically elected president or face the possible use of force.

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