The Nigerièn government, National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (French: Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, CNSP) has made a number of weighty allegations against the Nigerian government, claiming that its neighbour to the south has been actively working to destabilise the Nigerièn military regime.
The country’s military leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, speaking in a televised interview on the national broadcasting service, Radio-télévision du Niger (RTN) on December 25, pointed a finger at Nigeria, accusing it of being involved in efforts to destabilise his country.
According to his statements, many terrorist groups active on Nigerièn territory find refuge and support from bases located in Nigeria. He further claimed that the Nigerian government was very much aware of the formation of the Lakurawa terrorist group, a new group that the Nigerian government recently announced its emergence, but ignored it, saying he personally reached out to the country’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to share the information and seek verification.
Tchiani disclosed that Niger’s intelligence had gathered information from arrested terrorists who reportedly disclosed France’s plan to set up a terrorist base in Nigeria’s north-western state of Sokoto, bordering Niger, with members of ‘Lakurawa.’
He revealed how Nigerièn officials had contacted Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the former Director-General of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA), for confirmation. He said, despite assurances from Abubakar that his team would investigate, the intelligence was mishandled, and no further action was taken.
This situation, according to Tchiani, contributes to fuelling insecurity in the region and raises questions about the responsibility of the Nigerian authorities in the face of cross-border threats.
General Tchiani also accused the French government of financing bases to destabilise the region, declaring on RTN that France reportedly offered funds to the Nigerian authorities to establish a military base in Nigeria’s north-eastern State of Borno, with the clear objective of destabilising neighbouring countries.
Tchiani’s claims are undoubtedly drawn from extensive allegations by the Nigerièn authorities that there are new military bases under construction in the towns of Gigani and Gajigana in Borno. Although, they have shown no proof of these claims. France was also accused of planning to establish a terrorist operational center in Gaba, a forested area in Sokoto.
The Nigerièn authorities had earlier accused Nigeria of complicity in sabotage of the Niger-Benin oil pipeline, particularly near the towns of Dioundiou, Lido and Karakara, in the Dosso region. On December 18th, it summoned the Nigerian chargé d’affaires after investigating the sabotage.
On national television, they said that these acts of sabotage were planned from Nigeria with the participation of “fugitives from the former Nigerièn regime”, acting “in concert with certain Nigerian officials”.
Nigerièn authorities say these actions aim to “destabilise” Niger through “subversive acts” and to sow chaos in the country’s towns and villages.
Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, expressed his government’s strong disapproval, denouncing a “complicit silence” from the Nigerian authorities in the face of these acts, in contradiction with their declarations in favour of a normalisation of bilateral relations.
Claims of complicit silence by the foreign affairs Minister have been denied by the Nigerian government. In its response to the weighty allegations by Tchiani, the government released a serious rebuttal, stating that the allegations “exist solely in the realm of imagination.”
The statement, signed by the country’s minister of information, Mohammed Idris, said it “strongly rejects allegations made in a viral video by the military leader of Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, claiming non-existent collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country.”
The statement further insisted that “Nigeria has 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.
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,” the statement read.
On its part, responding to growing assertions by the military leadership of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) of its involvement in continued attempts to topple their regimes, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reacted promptly with a press release dated December 26.
In its released statement, the regional organisation described Tchiani’s claims as “unfounded allegations.” It further highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to peace and security in the sub-region and on the continent, citing in particular the successes of the Multinational Joint Force (MNJTF) led by Nigeria.
The ECOWAS statement described Nigeria as a “generous and magnanimous” country, excluding any possibility of it becoming a “state sponsor of terrorism”
The Nigerian information minister had also made this point in his statement, questioning the rationale behind any attempt at destabilising its neighbour to the north when Nigeria’s Armed Forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, are succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region, insisting that it was “therefore, absurd to suggest that Nigeria would conspire with any foreign power to undermine the peace and security of a neighbouring country.”
Several security analysts have said the claims about the alleged establishment of a Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto, purportedly orchestrated by Nigeria in collaboration with France, are largely imaginary as Nigeria has dedicated significant resources and lives to ensure stability in the Lake Chad Basin and beyond.
The recent launch by the Nigerian military of “Operation Forest Sanity III”, they say, specifically addressing the Lakurawa threat, Code Named “Operation Chase Lakurawa Out” clearly dispels the claims by Nigerièn authorities as a government that harbours the group would not be actively fighting the same menace it is harbouring.
The Nigerian government insists that none 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, it said.
The government reiterated its 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, noting that, “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.”
On the accusation that Nigeria seeks to sabotage Niger’s pipelines and agriculture, the Nigerian government had earlier rejected the claims, calling them both “unfounded and counterproductive.” It noted that Nigeria 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, insisting that “it is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it has actively promoted.”
While there are mixed feelings in both countries about Tchiani’s statements, some commentators have raised questions that they say may validate the Nigerièn military leader’s position, suggesting that the Head of State would not make such wild claims without some corroboration of the facts.
Some security sources suggest that the political fallout from the July 2023 Niger Coup, which caused serious strains in the relationship between Niger and Nigeria, may have led to a halt in cross-border law enforcement cooperation against banditry and the consequence is that the 1,600km border became host to several insurgent groups and a range of transnational illicit activities.
The breakdown in security coordination, which put immense pressure on the Nigerièn security forces in their fight against insurgents may have provoked Nigerièn suspicions of complicity by the Nigerian government.
Some sources also point to the fact that claims of harbouring foreign military personnel, earlier made against the Beninese government by the Burkinabe military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, had been validated by video evidence showing the presence of French forces on locations close to the border between Burkina Faso and Benin, and only time would tell if there is substance to the Nigerièn allegations.
As the Nigerièn authorities insist that they definitely have intel and clear evidence that Nigeria is colluding with Western forces to destabilise their country, the three military leaders decided to further strengthen their military alliance, declaring maximum alert and urging all the inhabitants of the AES to be super vigilant and report any suspicious activity they may see.
While the presence of French forces in Benin does not prove same situation on the Nigerian side, some regional security analysts believe that some joint intelligence operations may have been carried out between Nigerian Armed forces and some British and French military personnel. However, they say, these operations may not constitute the claimed establishment of active foreign military bases in Nigeria.
However, there are those who say the lack of transparency and clarity on the subject surrounding Tinubu’s administration only fuels these accusations, speculation and concern to Nigerians.
Some commentators, including the popular Nigerian security analyst, Zagazola Makama, hvae raised questions about the true objectives behind the allegations against Nigeria.
In a post on his X account, Makama noted that the revelation by Tiani comes at a time when Niger is grappling with economic hardship, strained international relations, and rising discontent among the populace. He says “many Nigerièns have grown sceptical of the CNSP’s rhetoric, questioning its focus on external threats instead of addressing pressing domestic issues like unemployment, inflation, and security within the country.”
Quoting a source, he writes that “This is a staged operation to rally the army and manipulate civilians into believing an external enemy is coming for them…”
According to him, “The intent appears to be twofold: Encouraging soldiers to remain engaged and maintain morale amidst declining confidence in the CNSP’s leadership and Instrumentalising social media platforms like Facebook and radio broadcasts to rally civilian support and amplify the idea of foreign aggression. The message was also intended for a specific target audiences, the Hausa Speaking Population in Niger and Northern Nigeria.”
A keen follower of developments in the Sahel, Marcus Herve Traoré, dispels Makama’s claims that Tchiani’s use of Hausa was a ploy to incite a specific audience, noting that the military leader gave the interview first in French, which lasted two hours, before he went on to redo it in Hausa for one hour, then did the same interview again in Zerma for another one hour.
The allegations by the Nigerièn authorities will, no doubt, strain further the already burdened diplomatic relations between Niger and Nigeria. However, regional observers say both countries will have to sit down and iron out their differences as the stakes against both sides, if the feud persists, are quite high.
