“NIGER’S PRESIDENT TCHIANI UNDER FIRE AT HOME OVER BASELESS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST NIGERIA”
This page is supported by Shell Nigeria. Click here for more information
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Niger’s President Abdourahmane Tchiani is facing intense backlash from his citizens, neighboring countries, and international organizations after accusing Nigeria of conspiring against Niger.
In a Christmas Day interview, Tchiani claimed Nigeria provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad and established training camps for terrorists in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.
The Nigerian government has swiftly denied these allegations, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication Daniel Bwala dismissing the claims as baseless. Ribadu wondered how anyone could claim that Nigeria has offered France a military base, citing Nigeria’s history of resisting foreign troops within its borders.
Many Nigerien citizens have also taken to social media to express their skepticism and frustration with Tchiani’s leadership. Critics argue that Tchiani is attempting to divert attention from his regime’s failure to address Niger’s economic and security challenges.
Maidalili Namu, a Nigerien commentator, accused Tchiani of fostering animosity with neighboring countries and neglecting the real issues affecting Nigeriens, such as economic hardship, insecurity, and unemployment. Namu highlighted that 4,673,335 people currently face hardships in Niger, while 2,312 lives have been lost to terrorist attacks since the coup.
Nigerian defence expert Zagazola also debunked Tchiani’s claims, stating that there is no evidence of French military bases in Borno State. Zagazola emphasized that the areas mentioned by Tchiani are actually occupied by ISWAP terrorists, who have been terrorizing local populations.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also come to Nigeria’s defense, rejecting Tchiani’s allegations as unfounded. The Arewa Think Tank (ATT) attributed the allegations to desperate politicians trying to frustrate President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
However, the League of Northern Democrats (LND) criticized the Nigerian government’s response, arguing that it failed to address the underlying issues and France’s track record of supporting insurgencies in Africa. The LND questioned how insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to acquire sophisticated weapons, including drones, and why the government has failed to curtail these supply lines for nearly two decades.
Information and Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris and Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar had earlier denied the Niger accusations, stating that any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’ principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in Niger is both disingenuous and doomed to fail.
