The Federal Government said Nigeria is not plotting with France to weaken Niger Republic.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the counter in an explanation, in the midst of claims by Niger Republic’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, that Nigeria was collaborating 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 underscored that President Bola Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS, has maintained an open-door policy toward re-engaging Niger regardless of the military upset that disrupted democratic administration in the nation.
As indicated by the minister, Nigeria focused on fostering peace, harmony, and keeping up with its historic political ties with Niger.
He focused on the role of Nigeria’s armed forces in check mating terrorism within the region through coordinated efforts with the Multinational Joint Task Force.
The minister portrayed as “absurd” suggestions that Nigeria would conspire to sabotage the peace and security of its neighbour and denied claims that Africa’s most populous nation had surrendered parts of its territory to foreign powers or laid out 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 referred to recent military activities, including Operation Forest Sanity III, which particularly targeted the Lakurawa threat, as proof of Nigeria’s obligation to regional security.
The minister similarly debunked accusations that Nigeria was destroying Niger’s pipelines and agriculture.
He referred to Nigeria’s active role in backing Niger’s economic development through initiatives like the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project.
Idris likewise urged the public to ignore Tchiani’s claims and urged him to provide authentic proof to back his claims.
