Former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop the planned military invasion of the Republic of Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Fani-Kayode taking to Twitter on Monday said that a military intervention intended to restore democracy in the Niger Republic would only give Nigeria more problems to contend with.
“Again Nigeria’s military is currently engaged in internal operations in all the six geo-political zones,” he said.
“We only have about 200,000 personnel all ranks and for the three Services. With the current economic crunch, where are the resources coming from? To depend on the Western countries that have their own interests to protect?”
According to Fani-Kayode, all our internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees are still in camps as Nigeria has not been able to resettle them for more than ten years.
“So, how do we handle the additional mass of IDPs and refugees that would definitely result from the crisis? Nigeria would be in deep sh*t if we go for this adventure,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also wondered why a country whose civilians support their oppressors should be attacked.
Recall that ECOWAS defence chiefs had agreed upon a tentative date for potential military intervention in Niger should diplomatic negotiations fail.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, discussed the potential “D-Day” following a two-day summit in Ghana.
Fani-Kayode wondered who would be responsible for the financial resources if the regional bloc decides to attack the embattled country.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain further lamented that Nigeria is not in a financial position to support the logistics involved in going to war.
“I am constrained to respectfully put the following questions to these ECOWAS military commanders and I challenge them to provide the answers,” he wrote.
“Can we successfully attack a country where the civilians are holding rallies in solidarity with their supposed oppressors?
“Quite apart from that has this ECOWAS “force” already been formed or will they divide the operation into sectors with each country taking a sector?
“Where is the Command HQ located? Who takes care of Nigér’s sector 3 of the MNJTF in Lake Chad, for I guess they will withdraw their troops?”
He asked if Burkina Faso and Mali join Nigér forces, as they threatened they would, who blocks the southward movement of the insurgents and terrorists scattered around the triangular borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigér?
“Is the Russian Wagner force still active in the region? Have we prepared adequately to handle the weapons and drug trafficking across the borders with Niger since our partners in that nation are now our enemies?”
FFK said that even with them working with Nigeria, cross-border crimes are still serious issues.
He asked if the AU or the UN or the West will be responsible for the logistics because as at now, Nigeria can’t afford to do so like it did in ECOMOG as we simply do not have the financial wherewithal or the resources.
In his view, he said Nigeria should still vigorously pursue the application of conflict resolution mechanisms in order to buy time to address these questions.
“If the Niger Republic and her allies deliberately open a corridor for the elements of ISIS, AQIM, ISWAP etc to move into Benin and Togo, ECOWAS’ weakest link, then the whole of Nigeria’s western borders, from Sokoto to Lagos, would be vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
“Already some of the elements have penetrated into Niger State, around Borgu and Shiriro, very close to Benin Republic and some states in the South West of Nigeria,” Fani-Kayode stated.
