Unresolved investigations into the diversion of over $125 million of the defence budget may explain why the generals overthrew President Bazoum, Looming in the background of the Niger coup is the role played by the biggest procurement scandal in the country's history – the diversion of nearly half the defence budget into private hands over the whole of President Mahamadou Issoufou's term of office. We hear that senior officials had been pursuing further inquiries into individuals linked to that arms procurement scandal at the time of the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July.