We Did Not Receive N1.2bn Donation From Buhari - Nigerien President, Moh’d Bazoum

Debunking media report that the Federal Government of Nigeria made a donation of N1.2bn to Niger Republic to support the fight against insurgency within neighbouring countries, President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum has said his country has not received such donation.

Bazoum said only the Maradi region of his country received hilux vans from Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, whose state is said to rely heavily on the support of security forces of neighbouring countries for protection against terrorist attacks.

Niger’s Minister of Defence, Alkassoum Indatou who spoke on behalf of the country’s president, contradicted the claim by Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed who had recently claimed that President Buhari approved the said sum for Niger Republic.

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The Nigerien Government insisted that the claim by the Federal Government of Nigeria is untrue despite the efforts of its troop to protect Nigerians from terror attacks from Boko Haram and Al-shabab militants.

The Defence Minister of Niger pointed out that Governor Zamfara gave the Maradi region Hilux vans, and not the Buhari regime as claimed byNigerian’s Finance Minister.

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“The state of Zamfara which has given five vehicles to the Maradi region, four of which have already been received, it is not the federal government as the Minister of Finance of Nigeria Zainab Ahmed declared.

“The populations of Zamfara who are on the border with Niger call more on the Nigerien soldiers who respond to the minute than even those of their own country,” a translation of the French statement of a top Nigerien official privy to the issues read.

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It would be recalled that a Budget Office document indicated that in February, the Buhari regime contracted Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited, with Fidelity Bank account 4010638472, to purchase 10 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles for the Niger Republic for N1.2 billion.

The news of the Federal Government’s intervention attracted widespread condemnation among Nigerians, many ofm who believed that their country needs the financial intervention more than the neighbouring Niger.