Nigeria’s Foreign Minister and Former Canadian Lawmaker Clashed over Claims of Christian Persecution
- A fiery clash erupted on Piers Morgan’s programme as Nigeria’s foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar and former Canadian lawmaker Goldie Ghamari sparred over claims of Christian persecution
- Tuggar rejected statistics alleging tens of thousands of Christian deaths, insisting Nigeria’s security crisis affects all citizens regardless of faith
- Ghamari accused Nigeria’s leadership of enabling jihad and ties with Iran, prompting sharp rebuttals from the minister
A heated debate unfolded on Tuesday’s edition of Piers Morgan’s programme as Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, and former Canadian lawmaker Goldie Ghamari clashed over allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
During the opening segment, Morgan cited figures from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which claimed that more than 50,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2009 and 18,000 churches destroyed.
Source: Twitter
Tuggar dismissed the statistics as misleading, insisting that the Nigerian government does not categorise fatalities by religious identity.
He stressed that all victims were treated as Nigerians. When pressed for official data, the minister stated that only 177 Christians had been killed and 102 churches attacked in the past five years.
Goldie Ghamari accuses Nigeria of enabling jihad
Tension rose further when Morgan invited Ghamari into the discussion. The former Canadian politician argued that Nigeria’s security crisis amounted to jihad, even linking it to the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel.
She pointed to the Muslim identities of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima as “evidence” of an Islamist government.
“By the way, this is a government that is working closely behind the scenes with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” she alleged.
Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan (born March 30, 1965, in Guildford, Surrey, England) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and media personality.
He began his career at The Sun in 1988 and, at the age of 29, became the youngest editor of News of the World in 1994. He later edited the Daily Mirror until 2004.
Morgan gained international recognition as a television host, including his time at CNN from 2011 to 2014 and ITV’s Good Morning Britain from 2015 to 2021. Since 2022, he has fronted Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV, known for his outspoken interviews and combative style.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is Nigeria’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs, appointed on August 21, 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Born on March 12, 1967, in the former North-Eastern State, Tuggar is a seasoned diplomat and politician with a career spanning public service and international relations. He studied at the United States International University in San Diego and later at the University of Bath and the University of Cambridge as a Chevening Scholar.
Tuggar served as a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011, representing Gamawa Constituency in Bauchi State. He later became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2023, where he strengthened bilateral ties and trade relations.
As foreign minister, he has been vocal on issues of national security and Nigeria’s global role, often defending the country against allegations of religious persecution while emphasising unity and democratic stability.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu’s minister urges British broadcaster to air interview without edit
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said Nigeria’s truth must not be distorted to fit external biases about the alleged Christian genocide in the northern part of Nigeria.
Tuggar urged British broadcaster Piers Morgan to air his interview on Nigeria’s religious situation in full.
He called on the producer not to edit or make selective omissions of verifiable data.
Source: Legit.ng
