‘Nigeria not working with France to cause chaos in Niger’

The Coalition for the Advancement of Peace and Democracy in West Africa has rubbished allegations that the Nigerian government is working with France to destabilise the Republic of Niger.

The group in a press conference on Monday in Abuja said the allegations were misleading and targeted towards causing disaffection between the government of Nigeria and citizens.

The Nigerien authorities had alleged that the Lakurawa terrorist group, with the help of foreign security forces, including Nigerian security forces, were responsible for the attack on the Niger-Benin oil pipeline on December 13, 2024, in Gaya, Dosso Region of Niger Republic.

However, the group said the allegation was not only grossly misleading but pathetic, stressing that Nigeria had been at the forefront of fighting terrorism for more than a decade, sometimes even in conjunction with Nigerien soldiers.

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“The Coalition for the Advancement of Peace and Democracy in West Africa condemns in very strong terms, the hostility directed at the Nigerian government by the Military Government in Niger Republic.

“The Coalition for the Advancement of Peace and Democracy in West Africa also expresses grave concern and states categorically that there are no French military troops in the northern part of the country preparing to destabilise the government of Niger.

“That the Nigerian Military has a strong history of not accommodating boots on the ground and the allegations are unfounded and should be discarded in their entirety.

“It is important to state that the relationship between Nigeria and France has always been cordial and Nigeria was never colonized by France and has no colonial allegiance to France,” the Secretary General of the group, Rahila Umar said.

She said the nationalization of foreign entities in the 70s was a pointer to Nigeria’s strong independence, adding that all assets owned and operated by the colonial government were nationalized and have remained so ever since.

Umar advised the military government in Niger to desist from using fake news to cause disaffection within the Nigerian populace with their propaganda.