‘My family must enter Nigeria from Niger by all means’

For many Nigerians wey get family for Niger Republic dey get sleepless nights and high tension over di last couple of weeks.

Many pipo for northern Nigeria get some kain relationship wit pipo from Niger and dis relationship date back to hundreds of years.

Since di coup on 26 July wey comot President Mohamed Bazoum from power and handover affairs of di kontri to military junta na im fears over possible war dey spread.

Hudu Sulaiman (no be im real name) wey dey stay Kano state for northwest Nigeria na one of those pipo wey dey find am hard to sleep for night sake of say e get family inside Zinder, for Niger Republic.

“Di last time wey I sleep full sleep na bifor 26 July wen Bazoum still dey power becos immediately afta di coup na im my mind neva rest.

Dis tok of military action evri day na some tin wey dey really worry me becos half of my family dey inside Zinder for Niger Republic.

My mission now for di past few days na to bring dem into Nigeria by all means so dat if anytin start dem go dey wit me for here.

Last time wey I hear from dem on phone na 4 days ago dia network no dey connect most times.”

Hudu say im father wey be trader marry im mama from Niger Republic for 1970 and dis make am half Nigerien.

“Evri year I dey visit Niger like four or five times. I even get farmland for dia sef.

“Di pipo wey I dey most concerned about na my mama sister and her six children, normally na from here I dey send money give dem bifor dis situation come worsen tins.”

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’

Hudu say e don already begin tok wit smuggler wey go help am achieve im aim - na di money e dey try arrange.

“Normally I no suppose pay reach N80,000 per pesin but becos of di situation na wetin di smuggler dey demand for be dat,” e tok.

Nigeria get one of di most porous borders for di world and e get many parts wey no get any sort of supervision.

E tok say e no wan go through legal means becos dat wan go waste too much time as dis na sometin wey e wan achieve soonest.

Hudu say e go only abandon im plan if di Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) comot to rule out military plan for dia tok on Niger.

Businesses dey also suffer for Kano

At di same time e get many oda business pipo for Kano wey di Niger situation dey also affect.

Sani Hashimu wey get soft drink shop for Singha market tell BBC News Pidgin say on average na N2M worth of drinks e dey sell to Niger before dis kasala but now nothing dey move again.

'Open to tok-tok'

Meanwhile, on Sunday di coup leaders and di Nigeria intervention team wey include prominent Islamic scholars 'agree' to pursue dialogue ova di political crisis for di kontri.

Dis come afta di intervention team meet wit di Nigerien coup leaders for di kontri capital Niamey ova di weekend.

For one statement on 13 August by di Islamic leader Sheik Bala Lau, e say im and odas meet wit General Abdourahmane Tchiani for several hours and deliberate on all issues including di demand by Ecowas say make di coup leaders return former President Mohamed Bazoum to power.

Na President Bola Ahmed send di Islamic clerics to Niger afta im accept dia request to intervene.

Sheik Lau tok say bifor now dem don tell President Tinubu say di issue fit dey resolved wit dialogue.

Di Islamic cleric tok say im tell General Tchiani say di visit to Niger na to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage am and oda military leaders behind di coup to embrace peace instead of war to resolve di crisis.

E say General Tchiani give dem warm reception and welcome dia intervention.

"E tok say dia doors dey open to explore diplomacy and peace to resolve di mata.

"General Tchiani, however, tok say e dey painful to di coup leaders say di Ecowas leaders no hear dia side of di mata before dem issue ultimatum to dem to quit office," Sheik Lau tok.

During di meeting, General Tchiani tok sorry say im no give di team led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) wey President Tinubu send di required attention sake of say im dey vex for di ultimatum wey Ecowas give dem.