Explosion and gunshot for Niger capital near international airport
Na for night time, blast and tracer fire dey light up di sky over Niamey as authorities no give any immediate explanation.
Few minutes after midnight on Thursday, heavy gunshots and explosions burst near Niger main international airport for the capital Niamey, e shock people and for small time scatter the calm wey dey the city.
Videos wey locals shoot show light streaks cutting across the night sky join with heavy blasts. Other footage wey dey for internet show flames wey climb several metres high and plenty vehicles wey dem don burn and char.
People wey dey neighbourhoods near Diori Hamani International Airport talk say the heavy shooting last about two hours before e calm down. By about 2 AM, peace don mostly return.
The airport, wey dey roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) from the presidential palace, get air force base and na strategic military hub. E still be headquarters for joint force wey Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali form to fight jihadist groups wey dey operate across the Sahel.
By early Thursday, authorities never announce wetin cause the violence or whether people suffer casualties. Some residents report say dem hear sirens as fire trucks rush go the airport area for early morning.
Since 2023, Niger don dey rule by military junta wey General Abdourahamane Tiani lead, after dem overthrow the elected civilian government. The regime don expel French and US forces wey before dey help for counterterrorism operations.
Call wey dey urge people to "take streets to defend country"
One online activist wey support the junta, Ibrahim Bana, post video for Facebook wey dey call residents make dem go the streets to "defend the country", and this one raise worry say tensions fit increase.
The unrest come against background of ongoing militant violence. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), nearly 2,000 people were killed in Niger in 2025 in attacks wey link to militant groups.
To add to how sensitive the airport area be, one big uranium shipment with buyer wey dem no name — wey dem transport from northern Niger in late November — report say e don stranded for the facility for weeks.