THE Nigerien government has denied receiving N1.1 billion worth of vehicles from the Nigerian government.
Recall that Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had on August 3, revealed that the Federal Government approved the purchase and supply of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle SUVs to the neighbouring nation.
“This is not the first time that Nigeria has supported Niger, Cameroon or Chad, and the President makes an assessment as to what is required, based on the request of their President and such requests are approved and the interventions provided is to enhance their capacity to protect their own territory as it relates to security also to Nigeria,” Ahmed had said.
However, Nigerien Minister of Defence, Alkassoum Indatou, dismissed the claim, adding, however, that the country received vehicles from the Zamfara State government.
In a translated French statement Indatou was quoted to have said: “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.”
