A group of prominent northern leaders has issued a strong caution against allowing the United States and French governments to relocate their military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.
In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly, the leaders emphasized the need for the federal government to resist such pressure.
The signatories of the letter, including respected figures such as Professor Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Professor Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), and Y. Z. Ya’u, expressed concern over alleged aggressive lobbying by the American and French governments.
“The recent expulsion of French and American troops from Niger due to their perceived ineffective presence raises questions about the efficacy of hosting foreign military bases”, the citizens said in the open letter.
They also argued that the primary goal of these bases, ostensibly to combat terrorism in the Sahel, has not been achieved, as terrorism has only escalated since those camps were established.
“It is important to clearly state that there are only dangers and no gains from such military operations.
“The American operations in Niger Republic, for example, were ostensibly to pre-empt and uproot terrorists from the Sahel region. The result has so far been quite unimpressive, if not a complete failure.
“It is apparent that the presence of American troops and other intelligence personnel in Niger Republic is not serving any useful purpose. This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from abating, has risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region,” they said.
Furthermore, the leaders raised concerns about the socio-economic and environmental impacts of hosting foreign military bases.
They warned of increased living costs, environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity, which could disproportionately affect lower-income populations and hinder sustainable development.
