The Federal Government has dismissed allegations by Niger Republic’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accusing Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilize his country.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the accusations as baseless and an attempt to deflect attention from the challenges facing Tchiani’s administration.

“These claims exist solely in the realm of imagination. Nigeria has never engaged in any alliance, overt or covert, with France—or any other country—to destabilize Niger Republic,” the statement asserted.

The government emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as ECOWAS Chairman, has consistently pursued diplomatic engagement with Niger, even after the military coup that disrupted democratic governance in the country.

“Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and maintaining its historic diplomatic ties with Niger,” it added.

The statement highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to regional security, pointing to its active role in countering terrorism through the Multinational Joint Task Force.

It labeled claims that Nigeria would conspire against its neighbor as “preposterous and unfounded.”

Specifically, the government denied allegations of ceding Nigerian territory to foreign powers or establishing terrorist bases in Sokoto State.

“The claims about the establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State are baseless. Nigeria has been a regional leader in combating terrorism, dedicating significant resources and lives to ensure stability in the Lake Chad Basin and beyond,” it stated

The statement referenced recent military operations, including ‘Operation Forest Sanity III’, as evidence of Nigeria’s proactive approach to neutralizing threats in the region.

Additionally, the government dismissed claims of sabotaging Niger’s pipelines and agriculture, citing Nigeria’s substantial contributions to Niger’s economic growth through projects like the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway.

“It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine projects it has actively promoted,” the government argued.

The Federal Government urged the public to disregard Tchiani’s allegations and called on him to provide credible evidence to substantiate his claims.

“Any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in Niger is disingenuous and doomed to fail,” the statement concluded.