On Thursday, the ECOWAS defence chiefs declared their readiness to engage in a standby force operation aimed at restoring democracy in Niger, following the toppling and detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by generals.

Through a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, El-Rufai expressed his thoughts, saying, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’. A war within our subregion equates to a war between brothers. The people of Niger Republic are interconnected with those residing in Northern Nigeria."

He further emphasized, "Let us therefore make every effort to avoid this civil war among brothers."

The Nigerian Guild of Editors, as reported by PUNCH, urged President Bola Tinubu to approach the situation diplomatically when addressing the coup in Niger Republic. They stressed that "military intervention is now regarded as an aberration around the world."