The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has firmly denied claims of foreign military bases in Nigeria, rejecting an attempt by the United States to establish the AFRICOM base within the country’s borders. Ribadu stressed that Nigeria prioritizes sovereignty and regional stability.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Friday, Ribadu dismissed allegations by Niger\u2019s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who accused Nigeria of collaborating with France to destabilize his country. Ribadu called the claims baseless, stating, \u201cNigeria\u2019s relationship with France is built on economic cooperation, not military collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ribadu reiterated that Nigeria remains committed to maintaining diplomatic relations with global powers, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. He emphasized that Niger\u2019s internal conflicts would not dictate Nigeria\u2019s foreign policy, urging both nations to collaborate on tackling shared security threats such as terrorism.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are neighbors and brothers,\u201d Ribadu said. \u201cOur focus should be mutual development and confronting common challenges, not accusations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) dismissed the accusations by the Nigerien military junta, calling them unfounded. ECOWAS emphasized Nigeria\u2019s long-standing commitment to regional peace and security, highlighting the success of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).<\/p>\n
\u201cNigeria has consistently supported peace efforts in West Africa,\u201d the ECOWAS statement read. \u201cThe allegations lack evidence and contradict Nigeria\u2019s track record of fostering stability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Arewa Think Tank (ATT), a prominent northern group, blamed desperate politicians for fueling the accusations. Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, the group\u2019s convener, warned against actions that could harm Nigeria\u2019s relationship with Niger. \u201cSuch claims are mere fabrications aimed at disrupting governance and causing unnecessary tension,\u201d Yakubu said.<\/p>\n
Ribadu highlighted Nigeria\u2019s history of rejecting foreign military presence. In 2009, under President Umaru Yar\u2019Adua, Nigeria refused U.S. plans to host AFRICOM. Recently, when tensions rose between the U.S. and Niger, a similar proposal was declined.<\/p>\n
Ribadu pointed out that Niger\u2019s own history of hosting foreign bases contradicted its accusations. He noted, \u201cNiger hosted U.S. bases they later expelled, while Nigeria has always prioritized its sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ribadu urged Niger\u2019s leadership to focus on collaboration rather than confrontation. \u201cWe need to unite against common threats like terrorism,\u201d he said. \u201cBaseless allegations only divert attention from addressing real issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Arewa Think Tank echoed this sentiment, urging Nigerian politicians to avoid actions that could destabilize the country. \u201cWe need peace to enjoy the dividends of democracy,\u201d the group stated.<\/p>\n
However, the League of Northern Democrats (LND) criticized the Nigerian government\u2019s response, calling it insufficient. Ladan Salihu, LND\u2019s spokesperson, questioned the denial, citing France\u2019s controversial role in Africa\u2019s geopolitics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government\u2019s arguments leave significant gaps,\u201d Salihu said. \u201cMore transparency is needed to address concerns and foster trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite differing perspectives, Nigeria\u2019s stance remains clear: promoting peace, preserving sovereignty, and strengthening regional ties are the nation\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has firmly denied claims of foreign military bases in Nigeria, rejecting an attempt by the United States to establish the AFRICOM base within the country’s borders. Ribadu stressed that Nigeria prioritizes sovereignty and regional stability. Speaking on Friday, Ribadu dismissed allegations by Niger\u2019s military leader, General Abdourahamane […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Nigeria denies hosting foreign military bases, calls Niger junta\u2019s claims baseless, and emphasizes regional peace and collaboration.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6755"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6758,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755\/revisions\/6758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shakamomodu.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}