Brewing row leaves Nigeria-Niger border towns in fear

PUNCH

•Communities in border states plead for peaceful resolution, debunk Niger leader’s claim of French troops in Nigeria

Some residents of communities in some states that share border with Niger Republic have expressed fears over the spat between Nigeria and its neigbouring country, The PUNCH reports.

In a Christmas Day interview, Niger’s military leader, Brig Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, accused Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilise the junta-led nation.

He claimed that Nigeria had provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad, adding that training camps had been established for terrorists in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, all aimed at destabilising Niger.

“Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move,” Tchiani was quoted as saying by AFP.

But the Federal Government denied the claims, with National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, describing Tchiani’s allegations as “baseless” and “false,” while Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said the allegations were unfounded and a “diversionary tactic aimed at covering his (Tchiani) administration’s failures.”

As tensions between both neigbours soar, residents of border towns in both countries, who denied Tchiani’s claims, called for an urgent resolution of the row, expressing fears that it could truncate the peaceful atmosphere they’ve lived in over the years.