The Federal Government of Nigeria has denied reports of plans from their West African neighbor’s, Benin Republic becoming a 37th state in the country.
The debunker was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.
In the statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry labeled tbe reports as ‘misleading’, saying Minister Geoffrey Onyeama only called for a stronger relationship between both countries.
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The ministry insists that Onyeama was simply quoted out of context in the reports.
The statement reads;
“Our attention has been drawn to misleading reports in the media that the Republic of Benin is aspiring to be the 37th state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in the presence of his counterpart from the Republic of Benin granted a press interview after a very fruitful meeting between ministerial delegations from both countries and stated therein.
“The president of Benin Republic said he would ‘like the relations between the two countries to be so close as if Benin was the 37th state of Nigeria.’
“The Federal Republic of Nigeria has no territorial ambition and has never aspired to make Benin or any country as part of Nigeria.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs was therefore quoted out of context and the general public should kindly disregard the wrong information.”
