Nigeria and Niger Republic are straining hard to maintain a cordial relationship following accusation by the Niger junta, the Nigeria government is trying to destabilise the country by supporting militant groups.
The Niger government on December 13 had alleged that Nigeria security agents aided the militant group Lakurawa to blow up an oil pipeline running between Niger and Benin Republic. Also, the junta raised concern Nigeria was keeping French troops in Northern Nigeria with aim of launching an attack. On Wednesday, the Niger government summoned a top Nigerian diplomat to register their concern about the development.
“Despite efforts to normalise relations, we regret that Nigeria has not given up on serving as a rear base for the destabilisation of Niger with the complicity of some foreign powers and officials of the former regime, to whom it offers refuge,” Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare said in a statement read on state television.
But the Nigeria foreign ministry denied the allegations.
“These allegations are unfounded and should be discarded in their entirety,” the ministry said in a statement released three days after Niger summoned a top Nigerian diplomat to make a protest.
“Nigeria “refutes in very strong terms” its involvement in the attack, said a statement released by the ministry’s spokesperson. The attackers “were neither backed nor assisted by Nigerian authorities
“Nigeria will continue to explore all peaceful means to maintain its cordial relationship with the Republic of Niger,” added the statement.
Relations between the two have been tense since the military took power in Niger in 2023 and broke away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, current head of the ECOWAS bloc, had briefly considered a regional military intervention to reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.
