Allegations of collusion with France against Niger Republic baseless – Nigerian Gov’t

The Federal Government has denied claims by Niger Republic’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accusing Nigeria of collaborating with France to destabilize his country.

In a statement on Thursday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the allegations as baseless, stating, “Nigeria has never engaged in any alliance, overt or covert, with France—or any other country—to destabilize Niger Republic.”

Idris emphasized President Bola Tinubu’s efforts, as ECOWAS Chairman, to re-establish diplomatic ties with Niger, despite the recent military coup. He added, “Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and maintaining its historic diplomatic ties with Niger.”

Rejecting claims that Nigeria has ceded territory to foreign powers or collaborated with France to establish terrorist bases in Sokoto State, Idris called the accusations “absurd.” He further explained that Nigeria has been a regional leader in combating terrorism and cited military operations like Operation Forest Sanity III as evidence of the country’s efforts to address security threats.

“The claims about the establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State are baseless,” he said. “Nigeria has been a regional leader in combating terrorism, dedicating significant resources and lives to ensure stability in the Lake Chad Basin and beyond.”

The minister also denied allegations of sabotaging Niger’s pipelines and agriculture, pointing to Nigeria’s involvement in regional development projects like the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project.

“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 declared, urging the public to disregard the allegations unless backed by credible evidence.