Nigeria has officially dismissed claims made by Niger’s military leader, Brigadier General Abdourahmane Tchiani, alleging that Nigeria is colluding with France to destabilize the junta-led country.
In a recent interview, General Tchiani accused France of forming alliances with militant factions in the Lake Chad region to threaten Niger’s stability, supposedly with Nigeria’s complicity. He stated, “Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move.”
In response to these accusations, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, categorized the allegations as “baseless” and “false,” emphasizing that Nigeria would never engage in actions that could harm Niger.
Nigeria’s Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, labeled the accusations as unfounded and claimed they serve as a “diversionary tactic” to shield the Tchiani administration from its own shortcomings. “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,” Idris asserted. He also denied any sabotage of Niger’s pipeline and agricultural sectors.
Tensions between Nigeria and Niger have escalated due to these accusations, particularly following the military coup that ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. The regional bloc, ECOWAS, led by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, has already imposed economic sanctions on Niger and has threatened military intervention if constitutional order is not re-established.
In a statement released Thursday, ECOWAS defended Nigeria against the claims. “For years, Nigeria has supported peace and security across multiple countries—not only within the West African subregion but throughout the African continent,” the statement said, refuting any notion that Nigeria would act as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Recently, ECOWAS approved the withdrawal of three military-led nations, including Niger, after they refused to reinstate democratic governance. Since the coup, Niger has called for the withdrawal of military forces from France and other Western powers, while seeking to form a security alliance with neighboring countries led by military juntas, namely Mali and Burkina Faso.
