•Tchiani and Tinubu
Nigerien military leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani has raised fresh allegations against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
But the Nigerian government has countered the claims, saying they were nothing but tissues of lies.
The recent development has further strained the delicate relationship between Nigeria and its closest neighbour, Niger, and by extension, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tchiani, in an interview with Radio-Télévision du Niger, the country’s state media, on Wednesday night, accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of conniving with France to destabilise Niger Republic.
But Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the allegations as baseless.
Earlier last Friday, the Nigerien authorities had alleged that the Lakurawa terrorist group, with the help of foreign security forces, including Nigeria’s, were responsible for the attack on the Niger-Benin oil pipeline on December 13, 2024 in Gaya, Dosso Region of Niger Republic.
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had debunked the allegation and assured that Nigeria would continue to explore peaceful means to maintain its cordial relationship with Niger for the benefit of the people of both nations.
Nigeria and other members of the ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on Niger and mulled a military action to restore constitutional order in the country following the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Tchiani, in his fresh allegations, some of them so grievous to be mentioned, said France promised to give Tinubu a certain amount of money in exchange for him ceding an area in Borno State for French military deployment.
He said: “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.
Tchiani accused France of arming Boko Haram fighters in the Lake Chad region with anti-aircraft weapons in order to combat Chadian forces.
He alleged that when France realised that Chadian forces were using airstrikes against Boko Haram, they armed the sect members with ground-to-air weapons so that they could bring down Chadian military aircrafts.
“The weapons were delivered on October 16. France has a base in Lake Chad. The reports we gathered from high-profile terrorists in our detention facilities revealed a sinister plan.
“And by the way, Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move. It is near a forest close to Sokoto where they wanted to establish a terrorist stronghold known as Lakurawa. The French and ISWAP made this deal on March 4, 2024.
He also mentioned names of some high profile government officials, including those not government.
Our correspondent could not reach out to them for their side of the story.
The Nigerien leader said: “We explained the French’s sinister tactics to him (a former official of Nigerian government). He promised to send a team of intelligence officers, who arrived in Niger, and we financed their entire operation. They had interactive sessions with various terrorists detained in our facilities. The terrorists revealed French motives against Nigeria. He, himself, was involved in financing terrorist training in different locations, including in the Central African Republic.”
Tchiani further alleged that another key figure in Nigerian government was also aware of the situation, but they remained silent and refused to act.
“We did all of this out of brotherhood with Nigeria. Alas, we didn’t realise that Nigeria’s decline came from the leadership, until later.”
He said Niger decided to take “decisive action against the French conspiracy, as well as deal with the Lakurawa group, which was reportedly positioned in neighbouring countries to launch attacks on Niger’s oil pipeline facilities.”
They’re tissues of lies – FG
Reacting yesterday, the Information Minister, Idris, said the allegations by Tchiani existed solely in the realm of imagination as Nigeria had never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France or any other country to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise the Niger Republic in the wake of the undemocratic change in the leadership of that country.
He said President Tinubu, as chairman of ECOWAS, had demonstrated exemplary leadership, keeping the doors of the sub-regional body open to re-engaging Niger Republic despite the political situation in the country.
Idris said Nigeria remained committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger.
He said Nigeria’s Armed Forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, were succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region.
According to the minister, it is, therefore, absurd to suggest that Nigeria would conspire with any foreign power to undermine the peace and security of a neighbouring country.
He also said neither the Nigerian government nor any of its officials had ever been involved in arming or supporting any terror group to attack Niger Republic.
He also emphasised that no part of Nigeria had 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.
“Indeed, Nigeria has a long-standing tradition of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Unlike some nations, Nigeria has never permitted foreign powers to establish military bases on its soil. This demonstrates our commitment to national independence and regional leadership,” Idris stated.
The minister said the accusation that Nigeria sought to sabotage Niger’s pipelines and agriculture was both unfounded and counterproductive.
“Nigeria has 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. It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it has actively promoted,” he added.
He also said the claims about the alleged establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State, purportedly orchestrated by Nigeria in collaboration with France, were baseless.
He noted that 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 said.
Urging the public to disregard these false allegations, Idris said those making such claims, particularly the military leader in Niger Republic, must provide credible evidence to substantiate them.
The minister warned that any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in the Niger Republic is both disingenuous and doomed to fail.
He said Tchiani’s allegations were not only unfounded but also a dangerous attempt to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings.
He said Nigeria remained committed to fostering regional stability and would continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges.
The minister said Nigeria urged Niger Republic to focus on constructive dialogue and collaboration rather than peddle baseless accusations.
Foreign affairs ministry speaks
Similarly, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Acting Head, Crisis Monitoring and Public Communication, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described Tchiani’s allegations as completely false.
“We share a lot of common history and Nigeria is committed to resolving the withdrawal from ECOWAS by Niger, Mali and Burkina-Faso. So, we don’t want any additional issues that will strain that process. Nigeria has never been known as a terrorist sponsor. We have been fighting Boko Haram for many years now and we have been committed to peacekeeping efforts in different parts of the world.
“There has been no instance whereby Nigeria has been linked to any terrorist group all over the world. We condemn the activities of terrorists within our boundaries and we can’t support the activities of terrorists outside the borders of Nigeria. So, the allegations by the Nigerien government are not true at all,” he said.
Northern group urges National Assembly to probe Tchiani’s allegations
Earlier yesterday, the League of Northern Democrats (LND), led by former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, urged the National Assembly to, as a matter of national concern, immediately constitute an investigative committee to probe the claims thoroughly.
The LND, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ladan Salihu, said notwithstanding the poor diplomatic relations between Niger on the one hand and France and Nigeria on the other, the allegations by Tchiani were too significant to be ignored as mere international politics.
It said a transparent investigation would address the concerns of Nigerians citizens and demonstrate the nation’s commitment to honest leadership, peace and the preservation of its security, sovereignty and integrity in the international arena.
“Considering the severe impact of Boko Haram’s insurgency on Northern Nigeria, these claims demand a transparent and immediate response from the Nigerian government to uphold national security and restore public trust.
“More so, with the current unusually close and intense personal and governmental relationship between President Tinubu and France, including signing of bilateral agreements, there are reasons to believe these accusations.
The league urged the government to provide the nation-especially the North that is bearing the brunt of the insurgency – with concrete, cogent and verifiable evidence refuting or clarifying these allegations.
“Their silence risks further eroding the confidence of the people, most especially northerners. The government must clearly articulate its position, ensuring that no Nigerian official is unfairly implicated in activities undermining our nation’s sovereignty and stability,” he said.
