The League of Northern Democrats (LND) has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s response to accusations made by Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, concerning Nigeria’s alleged collaboration with France in destabilising the Sahel region.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday, the LND, through its spokesperson Dr Ladan Salihu, criticised the government for failing to provide a substantive explanation on critical issues, particularly the persistent flow of sophisticated weapons to terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP.
The group raised serious concerns about how insurgents in Northern Nigeria continue to acquire advanced weaponry, including drones, which are typically accessible only through state-sponsored or highly organised illicit networks.
“If the government is genuinely committed to combating terrorism, it must answer a fundamental question: who are the actors behind these supply chains?” The statement queried.
“For nearly two decades, insurgents have been better equipped than many national forces in the region. Why has the government failed to dismantle these networks?”
The LND emphasised the relevance of France’s historical involvement in destabilising African regions for economic gain, as highlighted in Tiani’s allegations.
According to statement, dismissing these claims outright without addressing the broader context of foreign interference risks ignoring critical elements of the ongoing security crisis.
“France’s track record in supporting insurgencies to secure access to natural resources is well-documented,” it said.
“The Federal Government’s denial does little to clarify whether external actors are exploiting Nigeria’s vulnerabilities for their own interests.”
The statement also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s role as ECOWAS Chairman, pointing to growing tensions within the regional body.
Salihu highlighted the recent exits of several member states and the strained relations caused by Nigeria’s support for sanctions and potential military intervention in Niger.
“While the government touts its leadership in ECOWAS, its actions have only deepened divisions within the bloc,” Salihu said.
“Sanctions have exacerbated the suffering of ordinary Nigeriens, and the call for military intervention, fully backed by France, undermines the claim of fostering peace.”
The LND questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations, including initiatives like Operation Forest Sanity III, arguing that they have yet to yield meaningful results.
“Despite ongoing operations, terrorist strongholds persist within Nigeria’s borders,” Salihu noted.
“This raises a troubling question: is this a matter of incapacity or complicity? Dismissing these concerns without transparency only fuels skepticism.”
Salihu outlined a series of critical questions that the Federal Government must address to restore public confidence: Who supplies weapons and funds to Boko Haram and ISWAP? How are these international arms and funding networks being intercepted and dismantled? What measures are in place to prevent foreign exploitation of Nigeria’s vulnerabilities? Why has France been consistently accused of fomenting insurgencies in the Sahel?
The LND concluded by calling for a more robust and transparent approach to addressing the security crisis in Northern Nigeria and the broader Sahel region.
“Rhetoric alone will not resolve these crises,” Salihu warned.
“The Federal Government must provide credible evidence and concrete solutions to the issues at hand. Without this, its denial of these allegations will only be seen as a deflection from its responsibility to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and secure the region,” LND declared.
The Federal Government had on Thursday rejected allegations made in a viral video by the military leader of Niger Republic, General Tchiani, claiming non-existent collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country.
These claims, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris, exist solely in the realm of imagination, as he stressed that the country 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.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
