The Coalition for Advancement of Peace and Democracy in West Africa has strongly condemned the allegations made by the Nigerien authorities, accusing Nigerian security forces of involvement in the recent attack on the Niger-Benin oil pipeline.
The Secretary General of the Coalition, Rahila Umar, at a press briefing, said, the allegations that Nigerian security forces were involved in the attack are not only grossly misleading but pathetic.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the hostility directed at the Nigerian government by the Military Government in Niger Republic.”
Umar stressed that Nigeria has been at the forefront of fighting terrorism for over a decade, often in collaboration with Nigerien soldiers.
She, therefore, reassured the public in Niger and Nigeria that the perpetrators of the pipeline attack were neither backed nor assisted by Nigerian authorities.
She also expressed concern over rumours of French military troops in northern Nigeria, stating categorically that these allegations are unfounded, adding that Nigerian Military has a strong history of not accommodating boots on the ground.
Umar noted that Nigeria’s cordial relationship with France, and added that Nigeria was never colonized by France and has no colonial allegiance to the country.
She pointed to the nationalization of foreign entities in the 1970s as evidence of Nigeria’s strong independence.
The Coalition advised the Military government in Niger to cease spreading fake news and propaganda aimed at causing disaffection among the Nigerian populace.
