Nigeria says it didn't help France cause trouble in Niger. Niger's military leader, Brig Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, accused France of working with militant groups to mess with Niger's security. He said Nigeria knew about it, too. But Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, told BBC Hausa that's not true at all. He said Nigeria would never try to harm Niger.
Nigeria's Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, also said the claims were false. He thinks Gen Tchiani is just trying to distract people from his own mistakes as a leader. Idris said Nigeria has never teamed up with France or anyone else to destabilize Niger. He denied that Nigeria sabotaged Niger's pipeline and agriculture too.
These accusations have made things tense between Nigeria and Niger. They were already rocky after the military coup in 2023 that kicked out Niger's old president, Mohamed Bazoum. The West African group Ecowas, led by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, put sanctions on Niger. They even threatened to send in the military if Niger didn't go back to normal.
Ecowas stood up for Nigeria. They put out a statement saying Nigeria has always been a good neighbor. For years, Nigeria has helped keep the peace in West Africa and other parts of the continent. Ecowas said a kind and generous country like that would never support terrorism.
A couple of weeks ago, Ecowas said three countries led by the military, including Niger, had to leave the group. That's because they wouldn't go back to being democracies. Since the coup, Niger has told France and other Western countries to get their military bases out. Niger has also become allies with Mali and Burkina Faso, two other countries run by military leaders.
Nigeria's Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, also said the claims were false. He thinks Gen Tchiani is just trying to distract people from his own mistakes as a leader. Idris said Nigeria has never teamed up with France or anyone else to destabilize Niger. He denied that Nigeria sabotaged Niger's pipeline and agriculture too.
These accusations have made things tense between Nigeria and Niger. They were already rocky after the military coup in 2023 that kicked out Niger's old president, Mohamed Bazoum. The West African group Ecowas, led by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, put sanctions on Niger. They even threatened to send in the military if Niger didn't go back to normal.
Ecowas stood up for Nigeria. They put out a statement saying Nigeria has always been a good neighbor. For years, Nigeria has helped keep the peace in West Africa and other parts of the continent. Ecowas said a kind and generous country like that would never support terrorism.
A couple of weeks ago, Ecowas said three countries led by the military, including Niger, had to leave the group. That's because they wouldn't go back to being democracies. Since the coup, Niger has told France and other Western countries to get their military bases out. Niger has also become allies with Mali and Burkina Faso, two other countries run by military leaders.
