The military government in Niger says it has foiled an attempt by the deposed former President, Mohamed Bazoum, to escape from custody.
The former president attempted to flee in the night with his family, cooks and security, a military spokesman said.
There were plans for the group to fly out on helicopters but the plan was foiled, he added.
Mr Bazoum's lawyers have called for his immediate release, saying his detention is illegal.
He has been under house arrest along with his wife and son since members of his presidential guard staged a coup in late July.
The lawyers say the ousted president and his family can only be visited by a doctor who brings them food every other day, and on Friday morning even this was not allowed. They demanded proof that he was still alive.
Niger is part of the African region known as the Sahel - a belt of semi-arid land that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, just south of the Sahara Desert. The area is plagued by jihadists and beset by military regimes.
