The Senate of Nigeria, has mandated its committees on National Security, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs to investigate an allegation made by Niger’s Head of State, Abdourahmane Tchiani, against Nigeria.
Moving the motion, Umar Buba representing Bauchi, expressed deep concern over what he described as serious and unfounded allegations made by the Nigerien leader, noting that Tchiani had accused Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilise Niger through a new militia group called Lakurawa said to be operating in Nigeria’s North-West zone.
Buba said that in an attempt to legitimise the allegations, the Nigerien leader wrongfully implicated certain Nigerian officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the former Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai.
“Upon learning of these allegations, the National Security Adviser swiftly and unequivocally dismissed them as baseless by clarifying that Nigeria has never allowed a foreign military base on its soil, having previously rejected such requests from both the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Ribadu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining peaceful relations with its neighbours, including Chad, Benin Republic and Cameroon.
“He (Ribadu) emphasised the need to focus on common enemies, terrorist groups, rather than engaging in unnecessary hostilities,” he said.
According to him, any attempt to deliberately undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and international standing must be condemned, particularly when such claims lacked substantive proofs.
He said that the motion underscored the senate’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty, preserving its international reputation and foster peaceful and cooperative relations with neighboring countries.
According to the Upper Chamber, the investigation, which is to be conducted within four weeks, is aimed at using diplomatic and security measures to restore and strengthen the ties between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
