MAIDUGURI, Nigeria

Nigeria on Tuesday condemned the military coup in neighboring Mali and subsequent detention of the president and prime minister by soldiers.

Ferdinand Nwonye, spokesman for the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, called the detention of those two officials totally unacceptable to the Nigerian government.

Such moves “might derail peace-building efforts and timetable for the return of democratic governance to Mali," the statement said.

"The government calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained President and Prime Minister," it added.

On Monday, the officials in Mali’s transitional government were reportedly arrested and taken to the Kati military camp near the capital Bamako by soldiers.