Tchiani, Nigeria Is Niger’s Friend, Not Enemy

The recent accusations made by the President of Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, against the federal government of Nigeria alleging that the latter was planning to destabilize Niger are weighty enough to compel all peace-loving citizens in Nigeria to, once again, re-state the age-long socio-cultural and historical ties that bind the two nations together; making them more or less seamless even in their names.

In a recent radio interview Tchiani granted in Hausa, the military leader said Nigeria was aware of the formation of the Lakurawa terrorist group but deliberately ignored it. The Niger military leader who accused France of complicity in funding and equipping Boko Haram; alleging a collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilize his country.

Tchiani said he personally reached out to prominent Nigerian officials including the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, but the federal government of Nigeria which sent a delegation to Niger dismissed the allegation as baseless and untrue. “The delegation to Niamey spoke directly with the captured terrorists in Niger custody only for Niger to later find out that indeed the government was aware of the movement by France to create a space in between the Sokoto border with Zamfara to accommodate the new terrorists,” Tchiani alleged.

In a swift a reaction, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Tchiani’s claims exist solely in the realm of imagination and dismissed them as baseless. The minister said Nigeria had never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France or any other country to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilize Niger following undemocratic change in leadership of that country.

“Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger. Nigeria’s armed forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, are succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region. It is, therefore, absurd to suggest that Nigeria would conspire with any foreign power to undermine the peace and security of a neighbouring country. Neither the Nigerian government nor any of its officials has ever been involved in arming or supporting any terror group to attack Niger Republic. Furthermore, no part of Nigeria has been ceded to any foreign power for subversive operations in the Niger Republic,” Nigeria’s minister of information reiterated.

Truly, the longstanding fraternity between Niger and Nigeria is too old, too deep, and too well-known to be abandoned by either of the two and for any cause, remote or immediate. The socio-cultural, linguistic, economic, and religious links between Niger and Nigeria plausibly make both the closest of any two countries in this part of the word. This is clearly evidenced by the huge number of the populations living along their common borders including Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Shuwa Arab, Zabarmawa, Arawa, and Kabawa.

For any tragedy or disaster that befalls Niger (Allah forbids), Nigeria more than Niger and indeed all its neighbours shall remain the worst hit; of course, for several natural and human reasons. If the Nigerian military recently launched Operation Forest Sanity III (code-named Operation Chase Lakurawa Out), specifically to address the Lakurawa threat, it only sounds ridiculous that the same government would turn around to harbour the same terror group within its territories.

The countering of Tchiani’s false claims by residents of areas in Nigeria where Tchiani alleged that terrorist camps are being hosted strongly suggests that the allegations are nothing but falsehood. Tchiani’s allegations about the presence of French military troops and bases in northern Nigeria are, therefore, too incredible to be imagined.

Nigeria would be the last nation to take pleasure in using its security agencies in any plots that seek to destabilize any sovereign country; much more a brotherly neighbouring country that is only separated from Nigeria with geographic boundaries created to replace ancient borders by the 20th century imperialists in their scramble for African territories.

While Niger and Nigeria are both confronted with threats of terrorism, it is essential for leaders in the two countries to, in the collective interest of regional peace, understand and appreciate the fact that with or without ECOWAS, there’s need for sustained mutual cooperation and synergy between both countries especially in their common desire to win the war against terrorism and other trans-border crimes. These collaborations must be sustained no matter who is in Government in Abuja or Niamey.

President Tchiani’s resort to inflammatory allegations against Nigeria sufficiently suggests his attempt to escape governance frustrations and divert attention from the internal issues of Niger Republic. A negative fallout of this is the likely disruption of the existing cordial relations between the peoples of the two countries. This, too, is not in Nigeria or Niger’s interest.

While we advise President Tchiani to seek workable solutions to Niger’s economic and energy crises, which cannot be found in blackmailing Nigeria; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is encouraged, as a responsible neighbour and regional leader, to remain committed to tackling the regional security challenges confronting the West African sub-region. Nigeria is Niger’s friend, not enemy!

– Ndagi is a lecturer in University of Abuja