LAGOS: West Africa鈥檚 regional bloc ECOWAS has come to Nigeria鈥檚 defense after claims by Niger that it was plotting to destabilize its neighbor.
Niger鈥檚 military leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani accused Nigeria of providing homes for two French nationals it expelled, allegedly for anti-government activities, during a televised Christmas Day broadcast on Wednesday.
Tchiani also lashed out against ECOWAS and claimed that France had established a base in Nigeria where it was arming terror groups in the Lake Chad region to foment unrest in his country.
鈥淣igerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move,鈥� Tchiani said. 鈥淚t is near a forest close to Sokoto where they wanted to establish a terrorist stronghold known as Lakurawa.鈥�
鈥淭he French and ISWAP made this deal on March 4, 2024,鈥� he added, referring to the Daesh West Africa Province militant group.
Earlier in December, Niger鈥檚 foreign minister summoned the charge d鈥檃ffaires at the Nigerian Embassy, accusing its neighbors of 鈥渟erving as a rear base鈥� to 鈥渄estabilize鈥� the country.
ECOWAS and Nigeria rejected the accusations. 鈥淔or years, Nigeria has supported peace and security of several countries not only in the West African subregion but also on the African continent,鈥� the regional bloc said in a statement released.
鈥淓COWAS therefore refutes any suggestion that such a generous and magnanimous country would become a state-sponsor of terrorism.鈥�
Nigeria鈥檚 Information Minister Mohammed Idris said in a separate statement Thursday that his country had no alliance with 鈥淔rance or any other country鈥� to destabilize Niger, with whom it has had a choppy relationship since Tchiani seized power in a July 2023 coup.
Niger鈥檚 military leaders broke away from the ECOWAS amid rising anti-France sentiments.
Nigeria鈥檚 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently head of the ECOWAS bloc, had briefly considered a regional military intervention to reinstate Niger鈥檚 ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.
But Idris said that Nigeria was open to dialogue with Niger despite its political situation.
鈥淣igeria remains committed to fostering regional stability and will continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges,鈥� he said.