Niger police arrest coup conspirators

LONDON, January 2: Police in Niger have arrested several members of a group of alleged conspirators who were said to be planning a coup to oust President Ibrahim Barre Mainassara, television reports in the west African country said.

The reports, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London, said four of the alleged conspirators had confessed being recruited by opposition party members to get help from guerrillas stationed in Burkina Faso to murder the president and other high-ranking Niger government officials.