FG Speaks On Niger Junta’s Attempt To Shoot Down Tinubu’s Plane

The Federal Government has denied social media claims that the military junta in Niger Republic prohibited the aircraft carrying President Bola Tinubu from flying in its airspace.

A report emerged on social media that the military junta in Niger had threatened the plane conveying Tinubu from his trip to New York in the United States and asked the plane to leave the country’s airspace.

The report also claimed that the president’s plane was reportedly pursued out of the West African country, and was said to have been at risk of being shot down.

The report added that the alleged hostility from the junta was said to be linked to the position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chaired by Tinubu on the recent coup in the country.

Reacting to the claim in a chat with TheCable on Saturday, the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger Republic, Mohammed Usman, denied the claims that the president’s plane was threatened.

The ambassador stated that the claims were not true, and described them as fake news.

“It is not true,” he said.

Tinubu returned to Abuja on Friday night, a week after he attended the 78th Session of UNGA in New York.