When Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, The National Security Adviser (NSA), spoke with the BBC Hausa service he said there was no foreign military base in Nigeria. To emphacise his poit more, he said the country had recently refused an attempt by the United States to set up a base (AFRICOM) here.
During his BBC Hausa Service chat, Ribadu waved off the allegation by General Abdourahamane Tchiani as totally unfounded, adding that Nigeria’s relationship with France was “based on economic cooperation, not military collaboration.”
According to Ribadu, “There is no doubt that the President of Niger knows Nigeria very well, but I want you, as journalists, to go to the places he mentioned and see for yourself, or ask the residents of the places if there are any foreigners, let alone soldiers from other countries.
“The leaders of the military regime in Niger should understand that we, Nigeria, are not a problem for them.
“These terrorists, whom we are fighting, are our problem. We should confront them together.”
Ribadu said Nigeria would continue to work with the Niger Republic, “because the two countries and their peoples are brothers”, adding that both should unite for the development of their respective societies.
The NSA pointed out that while Niger’s leadership may have issues with France, it was unreasonable to expect Nigeria to sever ties with France over her internal disputes.
According to Ribadu, “General Tchiani’s statement was both surprising and disturbing. The allegations are baseless and entirely unfounded. Nigeria has no intention of sabotaging or destabilising Niger.
“We have always maintained peaceful relations with our neighbors, including Cameroon, Benin Republic, and Chad.
“Why would we suddenly have a reason to be in conflict with Niger? It simply doesn’t make sense.
“This allegation is completely untrue. Nigeria has no history of hosting foreign military bases.
“Even the United Kingdom, our former colonizer, has never attempted to establish a base here.
“Nigeria firmly resisted an attempt by the United States to set up a base (AFRICOM) within our borders.
“On the contrary, Niger had hosted such bases, including one established by the United States which they recently expelled.
“France has military agreements with its former colonies, but Nigeria has never been part of such arrangements.
“The claim that France is using Nigerian territory to launch an attack on Niger is both implausible and baseless. It will not happen. How could it even happen?
“Moreover, Nigeria’s relationship with France is based on economic cooperation, not military collaboration.”
Speaking further, the NSA said: “While Niger’s leadership may have issues with France, it is unreasonable to expect Nigeria to sever ties with France over Niger’s internal disputes.
“The military leader also mentioned specific locations in Nigeria, which reflects his familiarity with the terrain. However, I urge journalists and the public to verify if there are any new foreign settlers, let alone French nationals, in these areas. Nigeria has no intention or reason to destabilise Niger.”
Urging Niger’s leadership to reconsider its stance, the NSA said severing ties with France and aligning with other powers would likely bring more difficulties.
“We had previously warned them about hosting a U.S. base, but they didn’t listen and later regretted it. As a brotherly nation, we continue to advise Niger to focus on cooperation and mutual stability,” he said.
