A highway in Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic named after Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has been defaced by yet-to-be-identified residents of Niger Republic.
The perpetrators also called the Nigerian President unprintable names, describing him as “a criminal,” according to Sahara Reporters.
This is coming less than a month after the road was constructed and despite efforts by the Nigerian president to strengthen ties with Niger Republic.
People’s Gazette reports that nobody has been detained in connection with the vandalism.
Image: Sahara Reporters
In November 2022, the Nigerien President, Mohammed Bazoun commissioned the highway measuring 3.8 kilometers and immediately named it after President Buhari.
Under Buhari's administration, roads and railways have been built in Niger to increase dialogue and better collaboration between both countries in the areas of security, tackling smuggling, and importation of illegal weapons.
Nigeria also contributed huge amounts of funds to support Nigerien forces with vehicles and other equipment to fight crime and other forms of insecurity challenges.
Sahara Reporters reported that President Buhari's government through the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, approved N1,145,000,000 for the purchase of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles, for Niger Republic government officials.
The contract which was awarded to one Messrs Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited and approved by President Buhari on February 25, 2022, was said to be funded from the Ministry of Finance's 2022 Appropriation sum of N282 billion, Sahara Reporters revealed.
President Buhari first named a road in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after the immediate past Niger President Issoufou Mahamadou because of what Buhari described as his ( Mahamadou) " significant role in the promotion of peace in Africa," as conveyed by the FCT minister Mohammed Bello who represented President Buhari at the ceremony at that time.
According to Sahara Reporters, in March 2021, the presidency wrote on Twitter supporting the president's comments saying, “The road was named after the Nigerien President by President @MBuhari as a mark of deep appreciation for the maintenance of the brotherly relationship between Nigeria & the Rep. of Niger & in recognition of the Nigerien President’s significant role in the promotion of peace in Africa,” the presidency tweeted.
President Buhari's seeming expression of special liking for the Niger Republic has continued to earn him criticism from many Nigerians.
Politics and Opinion
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