Recall that last week Sunday, West African leaders had given the Niger coup leaders a week to comply with its demands or face an intervention which might include the use of force.
Nigeria, where the bulk of the soldiers are likely to come from – have met with various oppositions, calling m against the involvement of the military in the Niger situation, especially as both countries have historical and close ties.
This was seen as the Nigerian Senate had on Saturday, August 5, encouraged the government to consider its political and diplomatic options.
Meanwhile, in Sokoto, a northern Nigerian city sharing boundaries with Niger, and consequently, the home to the Nigerian army’s 8 Division, the anxiety is palpable.
The city sits on a key junction on the road leading to the Republic of Niger and will probably be the mustering point for the soldiers before any military action is taken.
One aspect feeding this is that – according to locals – one in every five residents in Sokoto is from Niger or has connections with the country.
There is perceptible fear that a military intervention by the ECOWAS bloc could seriously affect their family members and even jeopardize their own security here in Nigeria.
On Friday, West African military leaders revealed that they had agreed to a plan for a likely military intervention, but ECOWAS is still looking to find a diplomatic solution.
In an attempt to apply pressure, the regional bloc imposed sanctions on the coup leaders and shut down the borders into the country.
Nigeria had in addition, cut electricity supplies to its northern neighbour but this move had also affected its citizens on the other side of the border.
One of such border towns feeling the impact is Illela, a town about 135km from Sokoto.
The community is a commercial hub, but at present, it has been under economic stress.
On entering the the town, there are extended lines of stranded vehicles, majority of them being large lorries, with tarpaulin sheets covering their goods to shelter them from the rain and the sun.
The drivers of these lorries could face a protracted wait as a result of the border closure and the goods that they are conveying could perish, costing the business owners huge sums of money.
