Ribadu to Tchiani: You can’t drag us into your fight with France

The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has described as baseless the fresh allegations raised by the Nigerien military leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani. Tchiani had during an interview with Radio-Télévision du Niger, the country’s state media, on Wednesday, accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of conniving with France to destabilise Niger Republic. Speaking in an interview […]

The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has described as baseless the fresh allegations raised by the Nigerien military leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani.

Tchiani had during an interview with Radio-Télévision du Niger, the country’s state media, on Wednesday, accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of conniving with France to destabilise Niger Republic.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa service, Ribadu said the fresh allegations raised by Tchiani against Nigeria were both frightening as they were false and baseless.

He said just because Nigerien military forces are fighting France doesn’t mean that Nigeria must also be dragged into the fight, adding that Nigeria has never connived against any nation.

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“The allegations raised by the Nigerien military leader are both surprising and frightening. What he said is false and baseless. Nigeria will never scheme against Niger Republic. Nigeria will never allow anything that would threaten the stability of Niger. Nigeria is living peacefully with its neighbours—Cameron, Chad, Benin. There is no way we can have any problem with Niger Republic,” he said.

Responding to allegations on establishing France military base in Nigeria, Ribadu said, “No way! There is no way Nigeria will allow any country to come and have a base here to terrorise Niger. Nigeria doesn’t have this record of allowing foreign countries to establish in its own country.

“Even England that colonised us had never even for once considered establishing its military base in Nigeria. America had tried but we refused. We have never allowed any foreign military base in Nigeria even for a single day, much less have them unleash terror or destabilise Niger or any country.

“There is no doubt that the Nigerien military leader knows Nigeria very well, but I want you journalists to go to these places he mentioned to verify it yourselves and ask the locals in the areas whether there are any foreign military forces there.

“The military leaders in Niger should understand that Nigeria is not a threat to them. The insurgents and terrorists that we are fighting are our major problem, and we should fight them together.”