President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the immediate release of Malian president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and a return to constitutional order in the West African nation.
A statement by the State House said Buhari made the call on Thursday during a virtual meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). “President Keita and other detainees should be released unconditionally and with immediate effect,” the Nigerian leader said.
He assured that Nigeria is in support of “the efforts of President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, for wider regional and continental consultations, especially on the possibility of detaching ECOWAS and AU troops with the UN Mission in Mali, to protect State Institutions and also act as the first layer of defence in the country to help preserve and protect lives and property.”
According to the Nigerian leader, the removal of the Malian President could have “devastating consequences” for the country and the West African sub-region.
