France is already holding Tinubu down the corner. Now think about this, the French Government has been using her previous allies (Mali, Niger, Chad, Cameroon) to suppress any anti “one Nigeria movement” and keep Nigeria United. From mobilising them during the Nigeria-Biafran war to help Nigeria survive the fierce push back from the Biafran soldiers to pushing them to help Nigeria crush Boko Haram. Niger, Mali, Chad and Cameroon amongst the former French colonies obeyed France and helped Nigeria. In turn, France was promised free gas from Nigeria to France via Niger.
Britain has been happy with the French gesture since the 60s to Nigeria as it takes French mobilisation of her Nigerian neighbours to keep Nigeria one. France on the other hand believes that the collective West will also help her in keeping her former colonies on her side in face of uprising from them. France was shocked to see that while uprising was seen amongst her former colonies, USA, UK and others instead of joining hands with her to suppress the revolt, decided to secretly make deals with the revolting powers in Sahel. To France, that was an act of backstabbing and betrayal, and its effect is still felt currently in France till now.
For instance, France trusted Britain to mobilize the Nigerian army in the “restoration of democracy in Niger”, instead of Britain doing that for the French interest as reciprocity, the UK decided to focus on the opinions of northern oligarchswho aree against military operations in Niger. Britain which maintains colonial trust in the North, decided to share the same position with the North over the Sahel as the French position. France was shocked at such disappointment and the British chickening out. For the northern oligarchs, France has chosen to teach them a lesson they will never forget too soon.
France controls almost all the terrorist groups in the Sahel from Mali to Niger down to Chad. She has so much invested in terrorism in the Sahel that all the terrorists within the Sahel are under serious logistical support directly from France. That is what France has decided to unleash on northern Nigeria that even Abuja might not be saved from. France believes Tinubu who received money for Niger operations would have done it if not for northern threats.
So for France, Tinubu needs to be treated kindly but the hell must fall on the North. France has unleashed the mother of terrorism in the North since the Niger opposition by Northern leaders that Sokoto, Katsina, and even Abuja are too hot. To that effect, France has advised Tinubu’s Government to make plans to move key Nigerian institutions from Abuja to Lagos and possibly move the government seat of power to Lagos as what might come to North from French boys might consume Abuja. To that effect, CBN, NNPC, and other key presences of the government are mapped for relocation to Lagos and Ogun State. Afghanistan’s scenario of capturing Abuja might be playing out here as Russia might not be interested in using her new allies within the Sahel to help the UK interest in Nigeria as a way of punishing the UK over her ground in Ukraine.
These relocations would force foreign missions presence in Abuja to relocate to Lagos and Ogun State thereby turning Abuja into the real desert with abandoned edifices. If the North dares to challenge this, the Yorubas would interpret it as ethnic affairs and seek the Yariba exit which the French are ready to support. Biden’s America doesn’t want such a scenario but the UK fears that the emerging Trump’s America might not care what happens to Nigeria. Just hours after the American secretary of State’s visit to Nigeria, France summoned Tinubu for discussion which he will be in Paris till next month for lengthy planning. Tinubu doesn’t care more about weakening the UK due to the UK’s deep relationship with the North. He also doesn’t want the USA due to the unstable politics of the USA.
Britain on its own is trying to see if it can walk itself to the Easterners through her presence in Enugu as there is a clear indication that IPOB leadership is looking towards Eastern relationships. The UK fears IPOB might be in secret parley with Russia and the BRICS and that the USA is not worth trusting in helping out when Russia possibly chose to aid IPOB towards military might. To the UK, looking at areas of PR in Igbo land is the smartest thing to do in other to destroy what the UK views as heavy IPOB media destruction of the UK’s image in Biafraland. UK fears hence IPOB couldn’t be won by BBC Igbo, there is a need for her official direct engagements with the government and traditional institutions in Biafraland.
Furthermore, the relative calmness within the IPOB leadership circle and recent reassurance from the leader of IPOB sends an unhealthy signal to the UK. UK fears IPOB is configuring towards Somaliland’s approach of strategically studying and positioning for Nigeria’s implosion. UK feels IPOB is secretly and quietly analyzing every single development to take advantage of it.
Written by
Chika Austine
