Nigeria Dismisses Claims of Supporting Failed Niger Coup

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry has categorically refuted suggestions that the nation provided backing or endorsement to the recent failed coup in Niger Republic. Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye, who holds the position of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, issued a statement Thursday addressing what he identified as false and misleading claims proliferating on social media.

Enikanolaye branded these allegations as part of a deliberate campaign to spread misinformation, damage Nigeria's international reputation, and sow confusion about the country's stance on political instability across West Africa. According to the minister, the same false assertions also claimed wrongly that ECOWAS—the regional body to which Nigeria belongs—had supported the attempted takeover in Niger.

The Nigerian government reiterated its steadfast commitment to democracy and constitutional rule throughout the African continent. In its statement, Nigeria made its position unambiguous: it stands in complete opposition to military takeovers of government and any unconstitutional transfers of power, whether occurring in Niger or elsewhere across Africa.

This rebuttal addresses online speculation about Nigeria's possible role in the failed coup bid. By issuing its statement, Abuja sought to establish an unequivocal official stance on the matter for both domestic and international audiences.

Rather than engaging with the social media allegations substantively, the ministry chose instead to characterize them as deliberate deception designed to mislead the public about Nigeria's foreign policy.