FG: Republic of Benin not becoming Nigeria’s 37th state

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted suggestion that Republic of Benin becomes the 37th State of Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesman, Ferdinand Nwonye, on Saturday.

According to the statement, there was no plan to make Benin Republic a statement in Nigeria.

“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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 fruitful meeting between the Ministerial delegation from both countries and stated there ‘…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.”