General Abdourahamane Tiani, who ousted the African nation's elected president in a coup last July, signed an order for the dismantling of municipal and regional councils that were last elected in 2020, Tele Sahel reported.

"Municipal councils, town councils and regional councils are dissolved," the report said without giving any explanation.

A second decree reported by state radio named military, police and public officials who will be put in charge of local authorities.

Oumarou Dogari, the mayor of the capital, Niamey, has been replaced by an army colonel.

The military took over the country, one of the world's poorest, last year as it confronted a mounting jihadist threat.