Niger ex-intelligence chief arrested: source

Oct 21, 2010 |

Niamey

Tags:

Nigeria

Niger's former intelligence chief was arrested, days after four senior members of the west African country's ruling junta were detained for an alleged "attempt to destabilise the regime", a source said.

Seini Chekaraou, who headed the counter-espionage agency and was sacked on Monday, was "arrested today (yesterday)," a security source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Chekarou is reportedly close to Col. Abdoulaye Badie, the former number two in Niger's junta, who was arrested on Friday. The junta took power in a February 18 coup which ousted President Mamadou Tandja after a decade in power.

Badie and three others were arrested over an alleged plot that aimed to delay the pledged transition to civilian rule. The transition process is due to kick off on October 31 with a constitutional referendum followed by a presidential election on January 31.

Rumours of another coup have swirled in Niamey over the past few weeks. For several days, the military presence in the capital and its suburbs has been stepped up with larger patrols, particularly at night.

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