The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has strongly refuted claims that the French military is planning to establish a base in Nigeria.
The allegation was raised by human rights activist Mahdi Shehu, who criticized the government in a social media post on Saturday, alleging that French military officers had already arrived in Borno State as part of the plan. Shehu’s post claimed that the French soldiers were deployed to Maiduguri under the guise of aiding Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, a group the government claims to have largely defeated. He further suggested that this move could lead to the exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources and intimidation of local communities.
Responding to the allegations, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, issued a statement on Monday, categorically denying the claims and labeling them as false and mischievous.
“The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri towards establishing a French military base in North-East Nigeria,” the statement read. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria hereby state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally false, and mischievous.”
Maj. Gen. Buba reiterated that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, had previously addressed similar concerns in various media platforms, dismissing the rumors. He urged the public to disregard such misinformation, describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers.
The statement reaffirmed the military’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity while performing its constitutional duties with professionalism.
