By: Ojay Matthew
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has stated that government records show 177 Christians killed and 102 churches attacked over the last five years—figures he presented while disputing claims of widespread religious persecution during a tense exchange on the Piers Morgan Show on Tuesday.
Tuggar appeared on the programme to rebut statistics released by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which alleges that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed and 18,000 churches destroyed since 2009. The minister dismissed the organisation’s figures as exaggerated and inaccurate, noting that Nigeria does not categorise victims by religious affiliation.
Under pressure from Morgan to provide verified data, Tuggar cited the federal government’s internal records to defend his position, insisting the numbers reflect credible assessments.
The interview became more confrontational when Morgan introduced former Canadian lawmaker Goldie Ghamari into the discussion. Ghamari claimed the security crisis in Nigeria amounted to “jihad,” drawing comparisons to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. She also insinuated that President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima—both Muslims—were presiding over what she described as an “Islamist government” enabling violence against Christians.
Ghamari went further, accusing Nigeria of fostering ties with Iran and alleging that Nigerian schoolchildren had been photographed holding images of the Iranian Ayatollah. She accused Tuggar of dishonesty, saying he was “avoiding the truth.”
Tuggar categorically rejected her assertions, describing them as inflammatory, factually baseless, and reflective of a poor understanding of Nigeria’s sociopolitical landscape. He argued that Nigerian politics is shaped more by regional considerations than by religious identity.
The minister also revealed that he personally lost his father-in-law to Boko Haram, stressing that extremist attacks have targeted both Christians and Muslims, with Muslims making up the majority of victims for rejecting extremist ideology.
Ghamari maintained her stance, alleging that Christians in Nigeria face “targeted ethnic cleansing.” Tuggar countered that such claims risked fuelling division and were part of broader attempts to destabilise African countries—comparing the narrative to the fragmentation of Sudan.
He defended Nigeria as Africa’s most populous democracy and a country that accommodates diverse religious groups, accusing Ghamari of pushing dangerous narratives. Visibly angered, the minister described her remarks as disgraceful.
“It’s not going to happen to Nigeria,” Tuggar said angrily. “Move on to your next project. You’re a disgrace to the Canadian nation. I’m shocked you claim to have been a politician in Canada. Leave us alone.”
The heated exchange has since generated widespread debate over international interpretations of Nigeria’s security challenges and the role of foreign commentators in shaping global narratives about religious conflict in the country.
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