Two men on motorcycles attack the home of Seini Oumarou, President of the National Assembly of Niger.
A machine gun attack on the home of Seini Oumarou, president of the National Assembly of Niger, killed one of his guards and seriously injured a second, authorities said.
The attack, which occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday, was carried out by two men on motorcycles, Osseini Salatou, Oumarou adviser, told reporters on Saturday.
“They strafed the guards (posted in front of his home) killing one of them” and seriously injuring the other, he added.
The Nigerien interior ministry confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday evening, adding that the two attackers had tried unsuccessfully to scare away a 4 × 4 vehicle parked in front of the building before leaving the scene.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the attack, they added.
Oumarou heads the National Movement for Development Society, which was in power between 1999 and 2010.
Oumarou, now aged 70, placed third in the first round of the presidential election in December 2020, before giving his support to the future winner, Mohamed Bazoum.
In the violence that erupted after Bazoum’s election victory in February, protesters attacked Oumarou’s home, killing one of his bodyguards.
Niger sits on the edge of the Sahara Desert, where security is a growing concern after attacks by ISIS and al-Qaeda-linked armed groups from neighboring Nigeria, Mali and Libya.
