Captain Roger Gabriel’s account of the attempted destabilisation of Niamey on 28 and 29 August has implicated alleged contacts and plans for intervention involving Chad, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and France.
N’Djamena has reacted indirectly, without explicitly commenting on the allegations.
Captain Roger Gabriel of Niamey’s 1st Parachute Battalion, told Radio Télévision du Niger (RTN) on Tuesday that he had been informed of plans for an external intervention to support elements involved in clashes at Air Base 101 on the night of 28-29 August 2026.
The officer, who said he did not take part in the fighting, said he was awakened by gunfire coming from Air Base 101 before receiving orders from his superiors to secure Camp Bagagi and then the second bridge.
He said he was subsequently contacted by several officers from the BSR-COS, who requested reinforcements for their personnel engaged at the air base. After learning that the confrontation was with the Presidential Guard, his unit reportedly decided not to respond to the requests.
Captain Gabriel said he received a call early that morning from a Chadian officer identified as Colonel Hassan Adoum. After learning that the events in Niamey were not linked to a terrorist attack, the officer allegedly told him that an intervention from Chad was being prepared, “directed by their authorities and the French special forces”, to support the elements who had taken control of Air Base 101.
The Nigerien officer also said he had received information from members of former President Mohamed Bazoum’s family about a possible intervention by Benin, with support from Côte d’Ivoire and French special forces stationed in that country.
He also referred to calls from numbers in France, Dubai and Belgium, as well as messages attributed to several contacts claiming that French partners were ready to intervene.
Captain Gabriel further said he had received a message from the Chadian air force chief of staff announcing an intervention.
These statements, which implicate several foreign countries and actors, were not accompanied, in the testimony broadcast by RTN, by evidence allowing the reported events to be independently verified.
Déby responds with Quranic verse
Following the broadcast of the televised interview, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno posted on his Facebook page verse 42 of Surah Al-Baqarah: “And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth knowingly.” The Chadian head of state concluded his post with: “Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth.”
Although he did not directly mention Niger, Captain Gabriel or the allegations involving Chadian officials, the post came immediately after the Nigerien officer’s testimony and could be interpreted as an indirect response to the allegations.
At this stage, Chadian authorities have not issued an official statement detailing their position on the allegations made by the Nigerien officer. The other countries and actors mentioned in his testimony have likewise not publicly issued official responses that would confirm or refute the claims.
The events that took place in Niamey on the night of 28-29 August, marked by gunfire at several sensitive sites, were described as an attempted destabilisation by Nigerien authorities and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Forces loyal to the authorities had announced that they had regained control of the sites concerned.
Three members of the Presidential Guard — Warrant Officer Illo Maihatchi and Privates Yahya Idrissa Zamnaou and Ousmane Haboulé Hamissou — were killed during the events. Their official funeral is scheduled for Monday at Niamey’s Military Base 101.
AC/lb/gik/APA