Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Christopher Musa has said there is no foreign military base in Nigeria, contrary to what has been circulating in the media space due to recent visit of President Bola Tinubu to France where a lot of bilateral agreements were signed.
Speaking while unveiling the Armed Forces of Nigeria Tattoo 2025 Logo at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja yesterday, he said no foreign body would establish any military base in Nigeria, not in the North, South, or anywhere.
He said the president had said it should be very clear that what he was signing was a bilateral agreement on trade, culture, tradition, cooperation and economy.
“Nothing like that. Mr. President knows the implications. He knows that he must protect Nigeria and he will never allow any foreign body. We will continue to partner bilaterally because we do trainings together. We will consistently send our officers, that is a normal thing. Having a foreign military base in Nigeria is not part of Mr. President’s plan. So I want to trust this as an opportunity to make that clarification,” he said.
General Musa reiterated the Armed Forces of Nigeria commitment to peace and security in Nigeria, Africa and globally through various initiatives and strategies
He said the unveiling of the armed forces Tattoo 2025 logo showcased the history, culture, practises, skills, discipline and heritage of the Nigerian armed forces.
Earlier, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), had said it had been compelled by a deep sense of patriotic duty to strongly protest the location of a French military base in Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the national coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, said the press conference was to alert Nigerians on the contemplated “unconstitutional and indefensible action taken recently by the government, in granting alleged permission to France, a belligerent and notorious imperialist power, to establish an expeditionary military base in our dear country.”
The CNG said this was also linked with reported case of bilateral agreement signed between Nigeria and France, giving her unrestricted access to Nigeria’s nation’s huge mineral resources.
It observed that since the inception of the Bola Tinubu administration, Nigerians have been witnessing open and behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuverings deftly orchestrated at the top level of officialdom, with the misleading intention of surrendering the supremely precious sovereignty of our dear nation to France.
