Tuggar, Ex-Canadian MP Clash over Christian “Genocide” Allegations

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

A heated exchange unfolded on Piers Morgan’s programme on Tuesday as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, strongly disputed claims by former Canadian lawmaker Goldie Ghamari regarding alleged systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

During the interview, Tuggar challenged statistics cited by Morgan from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which suggested that over 50,000 Christians had been killed and 18,000 churches destroyed in Nigeria since 2009.

“These numbers are inaccurate,” Tuggar insisted, stressing that the Nigerian government does not classify victims by religion and treats all fatalities equally. When pressed for official figures, the minister stated, “Only 177 Christians had been killed and 102 churches attacked within the last five years.”

The discussion intensified when Ghamari entered the debate, alleging that attacks on Christians in Nigeria constituted jihad and linking them to broader international issues.

“I don’t have to be familiar with the Constitution of Nigeria to know that when someone yells ‘Allahu Akbar’ before they massacre 200 Christians and burn Christian churches, that’s not just banditry. That’s jihad,” she said. She further suggested connections between the Nigerian government and the Islamic Republic of Iran, urging scrutiny over schools allegedly displaying pictures of Iran’s Ayatollah.

Tuggar immediately rejected her assertions, calling them “baseless and ill-informed.” He accused Ghamari of reducing Nigerian lives to political talking points while misunderstanding the country’s complex ethnic and political realities.

On accusations regarding the government’s leadership, Tuggar defended Nigeria’s political structure, noting the importance of geographic balance, with President Bola Tinubu from the South and Vice President Kashim Shettima from the North.

When asked whether he condemned attacks on Christians by Islamist extremists, Tuggar affirmed: “I lost my father-in-law to an attack by an Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, so I myself am a victim. I’ve lost family members to attacks, and they were Muslims. But it doesn’t matter whether they’re Muslim or Christian… the number one enemy of Boko Haram is not a Christian. It is a Muslim who does not subscribe to their own brand of Islam.”

Ghamari countered, claiming that violence against Muslims does not negate what she described as targeted attacks on Christians.

Tuggar responded sternly, accusing foreign commentators of stoking conflict from afar: “People like her trade in starting wars in faraway places where they have no contact, they have no understanding of, and they can do that from their armchairs… It’s not going to happen to Nigeria. Move on to your next project. You’re a disgrace. You’re a disgrace to the Canadian nation.”