In a heated exchange on Piers Morgan’s show on Tuesday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, vehemently denied allegations of a “Christian genocide” in the country, dismissing reports of widespread killings and church destructions as “inaccurate and false.”
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The interview, which featured former Canadian MP Goldie Ghamari as a guest, escalated into personal barbs, with Tuggar accusing Ghamari of ignorance and warmongering from afar.
Tuggar challenged figures from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which alleged over 50,000 Christians killed and 18,000 churches destroyed since 2009. He emphasized that the Nigerian government does not track victims by religion, prioritizing national identity over faith.
| Category | Intersociety Claim (Since 2009) | Tuggar’s Figures (Last 5 Years) |
|---|---|---|
| Christians Killed | 50,000+ | 177 |
| Churches Attacked/Destroyed | 18,000 | 102 (52 in last 2 years) |
| Other Victims | N/A | 98 Christians injured; 7 abducted |
Tuggar highlighted attacks on mosques as well, stating: “Nigeria is configured in a way that you have Muslim and Christian populations across the country.” He urged a “nuanced understanding” of the nation’s security challenges, including threats from groups like Boko Haram, which he noted target non-conforming Muslims most aggressively.
The discussion intensified when Ghamari joined, labeling Nigeria’s insecurity a “form of jihad” and linking it to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. She accused the government led by Muslim President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of complicity and alleged ties to Iran, citing images of Nigerian schoolchildren holding pictures of Ayatollah Khamenei.
Tuggar fired back, calling her remarks “waffling” and a “display of ignorance.” He defended the Tinubu-Shettima pairing as a nod to regional balance (south-north) rather than religious favoritism, and shared a personal loss: his Muslim father-in-law was killed by Boko Haram.
Ghamari persisted, claiming killings of Muslims do not negate “targeted ethnic cleansing” of Christians. Tuggar retorted: “People like her trade in starting wars in faraway places… from their armchairs, from a safe distance.” He accused her of profiting from division, comparing her to agitators who fragmented Sudan, and branded her a “disgrace to Canada.”
Morgan condemned Islamist attacks on Christians when pressed, to which Tuggar affirmed: “I condemn it.” The host ended the interview abruptly after Tuggar’s outburst.
Tuggar pointed to Benue State’s Catholic governor (a “Reverend Father”) as evidence against a concealed genocide, arguing he would “scream at the top of his voice” if it were true. He positioned Nigeria as Africa’s “largest democracy” and a “shock absorber” for migrants and religious freedom, rejecting narratives aimed at “breaking up” the continent’s most populous nation.
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