Niger soldiers say President Bazoum's government has been removed

FILE PHOTO: President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum delivers a speech during the opening session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit at the Palais Brogniart in Paris on June 22, 2023. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(This July 26 story has been corrected to remove an extraneous letter from the jump headline)

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been removed from power, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation's national television late on Wednesday, hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.