Nigeria has firmly denied allegations made by Niger’s military leader, Brig. Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, claiming the country collaborated with France to destabilize Niger under its junta-led government.
In a Christmas Day interview, Gen. Tchiani accused France of working with militant groups in the Lake Chad region to undermine Niger’s security, asserting that Nigeria was complicit in these alleged actions. “Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, dismissed the claims as “baseless” and “false,” emphasizing Nigeria’s commitment to Niger’s stability. “Nigeria would never sabotage Niger or allow any disaster to befall it,” he told BBC Hausa.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris also rejected the allegations, describing them as a “diversionary tactic” to shift blame from the challenges facing Gen. Tchiani’s administration. He stated, “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.”
The accusations have further strained diplomatic ties between the neighbors, already under pressure since Niger’s 2023 coup ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum. The regional bloc Ecowas, led by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, imposed sanctions on Niger and warned of possible military intervention to restore constitutional order.
In a statement on Thursday, Ecowas defended Nigeria, highlighting its long-standing commitment to regional stability. “Nigeria has consistently supported peace and security across West Africa and the continent as a whole,” the statement read. “Ecowas refutes any suggestion that such a generous and magnanimous country would become a state sponsor of terrorism.”
Since the coup, Niger has severed ties with France and Western powers, urging them to withdraw military bases, while forging a security alliance with junta-led Mali and Burkina Faso.
