15 hours ago
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The Federal Government has dismissed claims made by Niger Republic’s President, Abdourahamane Tchiani, regarding the presence of a French military camp in Borno State.
Tchiani made the claim during his Christmas Day Broadcast.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir on Thursday, FG described the allegation as false and misleading.
The statement clarified that there is no “Canada” camp or any French military presence in Nigeria, and no plans exist to establish such a post.
The government described the claim as a figment of Tchiani’s imagination, reaffirming Nigeria’s sovereignty and commitment to its security arrangements.
“It is a figment of his imagination. Most importantly, there are no French soldiers in Nigeria or any plans by the government of Nigeria to establish a military post manned by the French,” the statement read in part.
The rebuttal comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Paris, where Nigeria and France signed agreements aimed at boosting infrastructure development and food security.
Additionally, Nigerian financial institutions, Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa, expanded their operations to France during the visit.
One of the agreements is a €300 million investment plan to support critical infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, agriculture, renewable energy, and human capital development in Nigeria.
The government emphasised that “the funds are not in exchange for the establishment of a military post.”
The statement also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing diplomatic engagements with various nations, including France, China, the USA, Japan, Russia, and others, stressing that such bilateral relationships are standard for international cooperation.
It reiterated that the relationship between Nigeria and France is guided by mutual respect, dignity, and non-interference in internal affairs.
English (US) ·