Niger Republic Exposes How Tinubu Government Secretly Collected Money From France, Allowed Military Base In Nigeria

The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has secretly been paid by French authorities allowing the European superpower to have a military base in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria.

The Head of the miitary junta in Niger Republic, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, made this known, adding that the Tinubu government received a substantial payment from France, and the country now has a base in a part of Maiduguri.

General Tchiani accused France of planning to establish a terrorist operational centre in Gaba, a forested area in Sokoto State, Nigeria.

Tchiani further alleged that the Nigerian government is aware of these intentions and has been complicit in France’s destabilisation efforts in the region.

According to Tchiani, France is also purportedly providing financial backing to Nigerian authorities to set up a military base in Borno State, under the guise of combating terrorism, with the ulterior motive of destabilising Niger and its neighbouring countries.

Tchiani disclosed that Niger’s intelligence had gathered information from arrested terrorists who reportedly disclosed France’s plan to set up a terrorist base in Sokoto with terrorists known as ‘Lakurawa.’

This intelligence, according to Tchiani, was passed on to the Nigerian authorities for verification.

He revealed how Niger officials had contacted Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the former Director-General of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA), for confirmation.

He said, despite assurances from Abubakar that his team would investigate, Tchiani claims that the intelligence was mishandled, and no further action was taken, as Abubakar is allegedly linked to the terrorist network.

He alleged that since the French government became involved, knowing that Chadian military had targeted terrorists with airstrikes, they provided the terrorists with sophisticated weapons capable of bringing down military jets.

“It is France that gave the weapons to Boko Haram terrorists, so that if a Chadian military jet came to strike them, the terrorists could use the weapons provided by the French government to bring it down.

“They struck on October 16, when France supplied them with the weapons. The information we gathered from the terrorists we arrested indicated that there is an ongoing discussion, and Nigerian leaders are aware of it,” Tchiani stated.

He said, “There is a forest called ‘Gaba’ in Sokoto, where they are planning to establish an operational center for terrorists, named ‘Lakurawa’.

“We received intelligence on March 4 that France and ISWAP were planning to set up an operational center in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara to prepare positions for terrorist activities.”

Tchiani further explained that one of the terrorists they arrested informed them that the Nigerian government is well aware of the operational centers for terrorists in Sokoto.

“However, we dismissed his claim as false because he was unwilling to allow us to share this information with the Nigerian government. As Niger and Nigeria are closely connected, we felt it was our responsibility to report any information that could be harmful.

“We reported what France was planning to do to the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, as we were unaware of these developments.

“He assured us that he would send personnel to gather more information. We took on their responsibilities, and there was no location we did not visit or have exclusive discussions with the arrested terrorists,” he said.

“The terrorists disclosed everything about France’s plans to establish a terrorist base in Sokoto. The intelligence was then returned to Nigeria.

“We later discovered that the person we contacted, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, is one of the individuals used by the West as a negotiator. He supervises the terrorists and is also sent to a country called the Central African Republic. If the terrorists are arrested, he is the one responsible for bailing them out, as well as handling their weapons and providing money for food. He oversees the entire process,” Tchiani explained.

“After learning this, things began to fall apart. We had trusted the wrong people, and once we discovered the truth, we were left unsure of who to trust or confide in about the situation in Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, Nuhu Ribadu is aware of the entire issue, but everyone involved has kept silent about it.

“Having seen how things played out, we decided to take matters into our own hands. If the Lakurawa terrorists are arrested, we are now considering what to do.”

Tchiani added that France had launched its base in Benin Republic to also monitor neighbouring countries that oppose them.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Thursday, the Nigerian Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the accusations as unfounded and imaginary.

“These claims exist solely in the realm of imagination. Nigeria has never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France — or any other country — to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise the Niger Republic in the wake of the undemocratic change in the leadership of that country,” Idris stated.

The Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful coexistence with its neighbours and stated that the nation does not support or condone actions that undermine the sovereignty or stability of other countries.

The allegations surfaced in a viral video where General Tchiani accused Nigeria and France of conspiring to undermine Niger’s stability following the recent military takeover.

However, the Nigerian government insists that its stance on Niger remains consistent with regional efforts to restore democratic order in the country.

The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), as Chairman of ECOWAS, has demonstrated exemplary leadership, keeping the doors of the sub-regional body open to re-engaging Niger Republic despite the political situation in the country. Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger.”

Idris said that 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 Niger Republic,” he said.

“We reiterate our full support to senior Nigerian government officials for their untiring commitment to fostering peace and security between the government and people of Nigeria and Niger, and for their efforts towards stronger cooperation in the ECOWAS region.

“Indeed, Nigeria has a long-standing tradition of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Unlike some nations, Nigeria has never permitted foreign powers to establish military bases on its soil. This demonstrates our commitment to national independence and regional leadership.”

Idris noted that the accusation that Nigeria seeks to sabotage Niger’s pipelines and agriculture is both unfounded and counterproductive.

“Nigeria has consistently supported Niger’s economic development through joint energy and infrastructure projects, such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project.

“It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it has actively promoted.”

He further explained that the claims about the alleged establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State, purportedly orchestrated by Nigeria in collaboration with France, 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.”

He said, “Recently, the Nigerian military launched Operation Forest Sanity III, specifically addressing the Lakurawa threat, Code Named Operation Chase Lakurawa Out.

“How can a government actively fighting the Lakurawa menace now be accused of harbouring the same group within its borders? These accusations lack credible evidence and seem to be part of a broader attempt to deflect attention from Niger’s internal challenges.

The Federal Government, however, urged public to disregard these false allegations.
“Those making such claims, particularly the Military Leader in Niger Republic, must provide credible evidence to substantiate them.”

He said any attempt to blackmail Nigeria over ECOWAS’s principled stance against the unconstitutional seizure of power in the Niger Republic is both disingenuous and doomed to fail.

“In conclusion, President Tchiani’s allegations are not only unfounded but also a dangerous attempt to divert attention from his administration’s shortcomings.
He stressed that Nigeria remains committed to fostering regional stability and will continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges.
“We urge Niger to focus on constructive dialogue and collaboration rather than peddling baseless accusations,” Idris added.