Our response must be deadly, devastating if Niger, others attack Nigeria – Fani-Kayode

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said Nigeria would respond swiftly if military forces from Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali attacked Nigeria. This is coming amid fear of war as Nigerien soldiers took over power from the civilian president, Mohamed Bazoum, last week. Following a threat by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWA to embark on military action against the Niger junta if it fails to reinstate Mohamed Bazoum as president, the Burkina Faso and Mali military governments had joined forces with Niger, saying any military action would result in war. Reacting to threats emerging from Niger, Fani-Kayode in a tweet on Friday said though he does not want war, Nigeriens soldiers should not take Nigerians for granted. He wrote, “I do not want a war and I do not believe that we should initiate hostilities by invading or deploying troops to Niger Republic unless it is absolutely necessary. However, if Niger, Burkina Faso and/or Mali attack Nigeria or any of our ECOWAS allies for any reason whatsoever, or if they deploy their forces on even one inch of our soil, our response must be swift, shocking, deadly and devastating. “We must kick them out, occupy their Southern territories, take their capital, Niamey, topple their military government, and re-establish democracy. If a puppy nibbles at the toes of a lion, it must be taught the lesson of its life lest it forget that it is nothing but a dog”.