Just In: FG not considering US-France military base in Nigeria, it’s false – Information Minister

The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to disregard the misinformation that the U.S. and French have proposed to relocate their military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.

Mr. Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, said in a post on his official X handle on Monday: “We urge the general public to totally disregard this falsehood.

“The Federal Government is aware of false alarms being raised in some quarters alleging discussions between the Federal Government of Nigeria and some foreign countries on the siting of foreign military bases in the country.

“The Federal Government is not in any such discussion with any foreign country.

“We have neither received nor are we considering any proposals from any country on the establishment of any foreign military bases in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government already enjoys foreign cooperation in tackling ongoing security challenges, and the President remains committed to deepening these partnerships with the goal of achieving the national security objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Persecondnews recalls that prominent northern leaders have warned against the relocation of US and French military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.

In a letter dated May 3, 2024, addressed to President Bola Tinubu and National Assembly leaders, the northern elders urged the government to resist such pressures.

The letter stated that the US and France are lobbying Nigeria and other Gulf of Guinea nations for defence agreements to station troops previously in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

“The American operations in the Niger Republic, for example, were ostensibly to pre-empt and uproot terrorists from the Sahel region. The result has so far been quite unimpressive, if not a complete failure.

“It is apparent that the presence of American troops and other intelligence personnel in the Niger Republic is not serving any useful purpose.

“This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from abating, has risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region,” the northern elders said.