The President Bola Tinubu-led administration has denied allegations that it is plotting with the French government to cause unrest that could lead to the removal of the military leader of the Republic of Niger, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, amidst rising tensions between the two West African countries.
This came two days after Tchiani, during his Christmas day broadcast, laid a series of allegations against Nigeria, including seeking to sabotage its pipelines and agriculture facilities which the country relied upon to boost its economy.
The Junta leader also alleged that Nigeria is collaborating with the French government to support the Lakurawa terrorist group, a major threat to the francophone nation.
Refuting these claims yesterday, the Minster for Information, Mohammed Idris described this as baseless, saying “These claims exist solely in the realm of imagination.”
Idris also condemned the claims of conspiring with France to destabilize the Francophone nation, noting that Nigeria has never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with any other country to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilize the Niger Republic in the wake of the undemocratic change in the leadership of that country.
Idris who tagged the assertion as Niger’s leader’s attempt to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings, added that President Tinubu as Chairman of ECOWAS, has demonstrated exemplary leadership, keeping the doors of the sub-regional body open to re-engaging Niger Republic despite the political situation in the country.
The statement reads in part,
“Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger. Nigeria’s Armed Forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, are succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region. It is, therefore, absurd to suggest that Nigeria would conspire with any foreign power to undermine the peace and security of a neighboring country. Neither the Nigerian government nor any of its officials have ever been involved in arming or supporting any terror group to attack the Niger Republic”
“Furthermore, no part of Nigeria has been ceded to any foreign power for subversive operations in Niger Republic. We reiterate our full support to senior Nigerian government officials for their untiring commitment to fostering peace and security between the government and the people of Nigeria and Niger and for their efforts towards stronger cooperation in the ECOWAS region. Indeed, Nigeria has a long-standing tradition of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial”
“Nigeria has consistently supported Niger’s economic development through joint energy and infrastructure projects, such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project. It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it has actively promoted. The claims about the alleged establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State, purportedly orchestrated by Nigeria in collaboration with France, 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. Recently, the Nigerian military launched Operation Forest Sanity III, specifically addressing the Lakurawa threat, Code Named Operation Chase Lakurawa Out. How can a government actively fighting the Lakurawa menace now be accused of harboring the same group within its borders? These accusations lack credible evidence and seem to be part of a broader attempt to deflect attention from Niger’s internal challenges. ”
“The public is urged to disregard these false allegations. Those making such claims, particularly the Military Leader in Niger Republic, must provide credible evidence to substantiate them. Any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in the Niger Republic is both disingenuous and doomed to fail
