The Federal Government on Thursday said Nigeria is not colluding with France to destabilise the Niger Republic.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the rebuttal in a statement, amid claims by Niger Republic’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, that Nigeria was working with France against his country.
“These claims exist solely in the realm of imagination. Nigeria has never engaged in any alliance, overt or covert, with France—or any other country—to destabilize Niger Republic,” the statement read.
Idris stated that emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his capacity as Chairman of ECOWAS, has maintained an open-door policy toward re-engaging Niger despite the military coup that disrupted democratic governance in the country.
According to the minister, Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and maintaining its historic diplomatic ties with Niger.
He stressed the role of Nigeria’s Armed Forces in curbing terrorism within the region through collaborations with the Multinational Joint Task Force.
The minister dismissed as “absurd” suggestions that Nigeria would conspire to undermine the peace and security of its neighbor and denied allegations that Africa’s most populous nation had ceded parts of its territory to foreign powers or established terrorist bases in Sokoto State in collaboration with France.
“The claims about the establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State are baseless. Nigeria has been a regional leader in combating terrorism, dedicating significant resources and lives to ensure stability in the Lake Chad Basin and beyond.
“Any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in Niger is disingenuous and doomed to fail,” Idris said.
He cited recent military operations, including Operation Forest Sanity III, which specifically targeted the Lakurawa threat, as evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to regional security.
The minister also debunked accusations that Nigeria was sabotaging Niger’s pipelines and agriculture.
He cited Nigeria’s active role in supporting Niger’s economic development through initiatives such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project.
Idris also urged the public to disregard Tchiani’s allegations and urged him to provide credible evidence to support his claims.
