The Nigerian government has firmly rejected allegations made by Niger Republic’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accusing Nigeria of collaborating with France to destabilize Niger. The claims were dismissed in a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday.
In his statement, Idris described the accusations as baseless and an attempt by General Tchiani to deflect attention from his administration’s failures. He clarified that Nigeria has no involvement in any covert or overt operations with France or any other nation to destabilize Niger.
“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 minister stated.
Idris highlighted Nigeria’s consistent efforts, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership as ECOWAS Chairman, to promote peace and restore democratic governance in Niger following the military coup.
He reiterated that Nigeria values its historical ties with Niger and remains committed to fostering regional stability.
The government also refuted allegations of aiding terrorism, including claims of a so-called terrorist base in Sokoto State.
It underscored the contributions of Nigeria’s Armed Forces in combating terrorism through collaborations like the Multinational Joint Task Force and operations such as Forest Sanity III, which targeted security threats in the region.
Idris further debunked accusations of sabotaging Niger’s pipelines and agriculture, emphasizing Nigeria’s investment in joint development projects, including the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project.
“It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine projects it has actively promoted,” the statement noted.
The Federal Government urged the public to disregard Tchiani’s allegations, challenging him to provide credible evidence to support his claims.
“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.
