Niger attempting to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’ position, FG alleges as allegations gain attention among Nigerians

By KEMI KASUMU, OUR REPORTERS, Abuja and Niamey

As the dangerous allegations of conspiracy with sent-away former colonial masters, France, coming from the Military Head of State of the Republic of Niger, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, repeatedly against the Government and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are beginning to gather momentum among citizens of the country, the seat of power in Abuja has continued to deny the allegations.

It said they are disingenuous even as the Chief of Defence Staff of the country, General Christopher Musa, vowed and allowed that the military forces of the nation would not allow any part of the land to be used for any foreign military base.

The DEFENDER reports that the Niger’s strongman, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has revealed that France having lost out of control of his country and some other West African countries, economically and militarily, has now found a friendship through the romance with it by Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu and is using that to plot destabilization of his country and others.

Several reports had cropped up in the past of Russian interest in defending Niger against any foreign attack from any angle after cutting ties with France and sending away French troops being used to perpetrate its control and imperialistically exploitation of the West African God-given resources to developing its own society and people.

In the allegations of General Tchiani, Tinubu was accused of having collected money from President Emmanuel Macron of France and to cede a portion of Borno State in his country’s North East region to be used as military base for the French colonialist nation to destabilize Niger and other West African countries that had sent his countries away.

Niamey, capital of Niger, which also alleged that part of the conspiracy terms was the emergence of new terrorist group in Sokoto against own country, is now challenging Tinubu to come out and tell his own people of Nigeria how much he collected from France to achieve this connivance or be told that there would always be a day of reckoning.

The development has gotten to a point that some Nigerians are now divided against the Tinubu government where some say “We stand with our government and believe their denial”, others are saying, “With the regular romance of President Bola Tinubu with France and his unexplained visits regularly to Paris, we are in dilemma not to believe repeated allegations coming from our neighbouring country of Republic of Niger.”

From among Nigerians who agree with the allegations, reasons were given as they said because Tinubu failed to lead ECOWAS military attack on Niger, the romance with France could be a diplomatic way to achieve the aim of handing the country back to its former colonial master.

They also said with them finding it difficult to believe that they have not been ruled with deceit for the over one and a half years of his administration, it would be hard to believe his administration’s denials of the allegations coming from Niamey.

But the Nigerian government in Abuja, for the umptheenth time, has denied the allegations by the Niger’s strongman that there was a covert collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country, even as it went on to describe such dangerous allegations as an attempt to blackmail Nigeria over the principled stance of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against what Abuja called the unconstitutional seizure of power in that country.

The Federal Government of Nigeria described the allegations by the Nigerien Head of State, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, as disingenuous and doomed to fail, according to the nation’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, in a statement, wherein he insisted the claim was “non-existent”.

That was as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, maintained that the Nigerian military would not allow any foreign military base in the country.

Musa also warned those said to be doing business with terrorists to desist from such criminality as, according to it, the Armed Forces of Nigeria would not fold their arms and watch anyone collapse the country.

Niger’s military Government had accused France of providing financial support to the Nigeria government to establish a military base in Borno State, purportedly to destabilise Niger Republic and its neighbours.

General Abdourahamane Tchiani made the allegation on Christmas Day in an address, where he accused Niger’s former colonial masters of meddlesomeness and hatching ulterior motives in the sub-region’s political affairs.

But Idris, who refuted the claims, said they existed solely in the realm of imagination of the Nigerien authorities.

He insisted that Nigeria had never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France – or any other country – to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise Niger Republic in the wake of the undemocratic change in the leadership of that country.

Idris, who challenged the Nigerien junta to substantiate his allegation with credible evidence, urged the Nigerian public to disregard the false and unmeritorious allegations.

“Any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in the Niger Republic is disingenuous and doomed to fail,” he said.

According to the information minister, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), 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. 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 neighbouring country.”

Idris added, “Neither the Nigerian government nor any of its officials has ever been involved in arming or supporting any terror group to attack 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 people of Nigeria and Niger, and for their efforts towards stronger cooperation in the ECOWAS region.”

The minister also reiterated that Nigeria had a long-standing tradition of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that unlike some nations, the country has never permitted foreign powers to establish military bases on its soil.

While adding that the policy demonstrated the country’s commitment to national independence and regional leadership, Idris also denied as unfounded and counterproductive Niger’s accusation that Nigeria was seeking to sabotage its northern neighbours’ pipelines and agriculture.

He insisted the federal government had 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, saying it would be illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it had actively promoted.

Idris stated, “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 harbouring 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 minister urged Niger to focus on constructive dialogue and collaboration rather than peddling baseless accusations. He described Tchiani’s allegations as “not only unfounded but also a dangerous attempt to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings”.

He asserted Nigeria’s firm commitment to fostering regional stability to continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges.

Sources in Niamey and Abuja gave divergent opinions as they respectively  told The DEFENDER Friday afternoon their understandings of the allegations and counter allegations.

In Abuja, Our Reporter was told by the source, who refused to give his name he would not like to be mentioned being that he comes from Northern region, that, “The allegations by Niger could be that General Abdourahamane Tchiani, convinced and now very sure of the powers of Russia and Soviet Union allies solidly behind his country and others ready to protect it against foreign attacks from any angle, may want to use Nigeria as a scape goat.

“This, the way I understand it, can better be seen from how Tinubu led the front when the country decided to free itself from the imperialism of France and many theories surround that Tinubu’s action vis-a-vis the frantic effort to do so in agreement with western terms of condition to protect his image during the Chicago university and FBI/CIA and others information release” bruhaha.

However, in Niamey, Our Reporter was told point blank by his source there that, “What these allegations mean to me is that General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who made them is not just anyhow person. As a military officer he sees something and, as the Head of State of our country, all security and intelligence reports stop in his table. So, I believe him.

“My own is that, while I also do not lose sight of possible propaganda, if Tinubu has been involved in this before, now is time for him to stop because our country here does not laugh with issues of conspiracy or connivance. Nigeria should not test the capacity of Niger,” he said.