The Nigerian government has responded to accusations by its neighbor, Niger, that it is helping other countries to create chaos in the country.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the allegations as “baseless speculation” that should be dismissed.
She said this allegation included claims that French troops in Northern Nigeria were planning to incite chaos in Niger.
“These are allegations that are unsubstantiated and should be completely rejected,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday, three days after Niger summoned the Nigerian ambassador to express its anger.
On Thursday, the Nigerien government alleged that some Nigerian troops had helped Lakurawa militants attack Niger’s oil pipeline connecting it to Benin.
However, in its response, Nigeria denied the allegations, saying: “The attackers did not receive any support from the Nigerian authorities or any other support from them.”
