A cold war is brewing between President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerien military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who alleged collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country.
The Nigerien leader had claimed in a video clip that has made the rounds on the social media that the country’s colonial master, France, was providing financial support to the Nigerian government to establish a military base in Borno State, purportedly to destabilise Niger Republic and its neighbours.
Tchiani who made the allegations on Christmas Day in an address, accused France of meddling and hatching ulterior motives in the sub-region’s political affairs.
He alleged that Tinubu’s administration had conspired with France to cause crisis in the former French territory through a proxy, the Lakurawa terrorists.
Daily Trust quoted the Nigerien leader as alleging that France promised to give Tinubu a certain amount of money in exchange for him ceding an area in Borno State for French military deployment.
“President Tinubu should come out and tell Nigerians how much he collected from France. If he refuses to do so, there will be a day of reckoning. Allah is watching.
“ECOWAS has been out of control. It has merely become a puppet of the French authorities. France dictates to it as it pleases. This is because the leaders of ECOWAS countries are power-hungry people.
“From the Nigerian president to those of Benin, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire — they all go to France whenever elections are around. They go and bow before Macron to ask for funds to contest again. Do you have the temerity to say no to the person who gave you money?”
Tchiani also alleged that French military personnel were present on an island known as Kurnawa, as well as in places like Tangarwa and Dogon Chuku.
“We repatriated two French officials who had relocated to Nigeria. They were warmly accepted by Nigeria. They provide training to terrorists,” he alleged in the widely circulated videos.
He also alleged that France designated an area as ‘Canada’, recruited many Nigerians and enlisted them with the tacit knowledge of Nigerian authorities.
The Nigerien leader said the military extracted the intelligence from some high-ranking terrorists it captured recently.
“They discussed with them and told them what France wants to create. They returned with this report,” he added.
However, Nigeria’s minister of information and national orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris reacted to Tchiani’s claims saying Nigeria has never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France – or any other country – to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise Niger in the wake of the 2023 military takeover of the leadership of Niger.
Idris described the claims of collusion with the Lakurawa terrorists as “baseless” and lacking credible evidence.
“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,” he added.
Furthermore, the minister said: “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.
“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,” he said
Additional report from NAN
