Dissatisfied by the ongoing political crisis, the military seized power on February 18, 2010, ousting Tandja and immediately dissolving the National Assembly. Unlike Tandja and Abouba, Oumarou was initially not detained by the new junta; however, he was arrested on 29 March 2010, along with a number of other high-ranking associates and loyalists of Tandja. According to Ousmane Cissé, the Minister of the Interior, they were arrested because they were involved in "subversive activities and undermining of the government and the transition process". Cissé stressed that any activity aimed at undermining the government or stirring unrest would be punished. Nevertheless, the junta released Oumarou and the others on 2 April 2010. Cissé, the Interior Minister, said that their "destabilisation operation" had been "neutralised" and that the suspects were being released "to calm things down".