“Nigeria’s Colonial-Powered Nation-Building Has Failed,” Says Foreign Minister – but His Evasions on Christian Killings Raise Questions About Complicity

Abuja, Nigeria – November 20, 2025

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday, where his shifting statements, evasions, and contradictions on the ongoing Christian massacres in Nigeria painted a portrait of a government spokesman struggling to reconcile facts on the ongoing Christian Genocide with official narratives.

When confronted with widely reported figures, over 100,000 Christians killed and 18,000 churches destroyed, Tuggar dismissed them as “totally inaccurate” and “exaggerated,” blaming rights group Intersociety for what he called “inflated numbers.”

Yet when Piers Morgan pressed him for the government’s verified statistics, the Minister visibly agitated, dodging the question several times.

Tuggar dodged the question entirely again, insisting that the government “does not pay attention to the faith of massacred Nigerians,” a statement that not only contradicted his earlier insistence on accuracy, but also rendered the government conveniently incapable of proving or disproving genocidal targeting.

He then attempted to abruptly divert the conversation to unrelated geopolitical events by comparing Nigeria’s crisis to the breakup of Sudan.

When Morgan challenged him again by calling out the deflection, Tuggar snapped back that he had answered, then reached for what appeared to be a hastily scribbled note, claiming that only 102 attacks on churches had occurred.

The figure he gave sharply contradicted every documented report, including findings from global watchdogs. His inconsistent responses only deepened longstanding suspicions of deliberate official downplaying.

While stumbling through his contradictory explanations, the minister inadvertently admitted that Nigeria’s colonial-powered nation-building project had “failed completely.”

Despite this acknowledgement, he proceeded to absolve the Nigerian government of responsibility for insecurity, instead blaming blaming insecurity on foreign actors, NATO’s killing of Gaddafi, and the “failed EU’s Sahel strategy.”

Tuggar accused the U.S. President Donald Trump of being “misinformed,” advising Washington to engage more with Abuja and to “try to understand the complexity of the Nigerian state.”

In another inconsistency, Tuggar thanked the U.S. for selling Nigeria Super Tucano fighter jets, but then claimed that “America’s hesitancy to sell weapons to Nigeria is to be blamed for the continued rise of terrorism.”

 

“If it walks like a duck…” – Canadian Former MP Goldie Ghamari Calls Out Minister’s Denials, Accuses him of Lying and Shielding an Islamist Agenda

 

Former Canadian MP Goldie Ghamari responded to Tuggar’s denials bluntly:

“If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

She noted that jihadist terrorists openly chant “Allahu Akbar” during massacres, hardly a coincidence, citing the kidnap of nearly 300 kidnapped Chibok girls with at least 80 still missing more than a decade later.

Ghamari compared Nigeria’s Christian genocide to historical Islamic invasions, stressing that modern technology now documents what would previously have remained hidden.

Ghamari bluntly stated that Tuggar “lied” throughout the interview, insisting that Nigeria’s current leadership is an “Islamic administration” and are “secretly working closely with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” She insisted that the massacre of Christians is deliberate and systematic.

Tuggar’s response was combative. He launched personal attacks, calling Ghamari ignorant and claiming Nigeria “cannot determine the faith of victims,” citing sections of the Constitution.

When Morgan pressed him for the third time to state how many Christians had been killed since 2009, Tuggardefiantly claimed he was “never asked” even though the question had been posed repeatedly.

At this point, he once again pulled a number from the same note he had earlier used, claiming that only 177 Christians were killed in the last five years. The figure was met with total disbelief.

PEOPLES CHRONICLES confirms that the number of Christians killed as provided by Tuggar sharply contradicts the reality on the ground.

For instance, one Fulani terrorists attack on the Yelewata community in Benue State, which took place between June 8 and June 14, resulted in the massacre of more than 214 men, women, and children.

This single attack alone dwarfs his claim that only 177 Christians were killed in five years.

The scale of the tragedy was so severe that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, visited the community. After his visit, he tweeted: “The scale of destruction and loss is heartbreaking.”

Piers Morgan observed that jihadist groups target anyone who disagrees with them, both moderate Muslims and Christians .

Ghamari responding to Piers Morgan stated that “Because moderate Muslims are being murdered does not negate the targeted ethnic cleansing of Christian Nigerians. One does not cancel out the other.”

She emphasized that Fulani terrorists, not just Boko Haram or ISIS, are specifically attacking Christian communities, and referenced multiple videos showing heavily armed Fulani jihadists riding through villages unchallenged while the Nigerian army stands down.

 

“They are complicit” – Ghamari’s Most Damning Charge

 

She accused Tuggar of being “purposefully evasive,” adding:

“I don’t need Nigeria’s constitution to know that when someone shouts ‘Allahu Akbar’ before burning churches and slaughtering Christians, that’s not banditry, that’s jihad.”

Ghamari did not mince words:

“The reason the Minister refuses to admit this is because they are somehow complicit. If they release the actual numbers, they will have no choice but to admit there is a genocide.”

In response, Tuggar lashed out once more, accusing her of trying to start a war, claiming she “does not know the difference between a Fulani man, a Hausa man or an Igbo man,” and calling her a disgrace. The personal attacks stood in stark contrast to his refusal to provide consistent facts.

His comments were widely criticized as desperate deflections, especially given his inability to provide consistent facts or counter the detailed evidence presented.

 

Ground Realities Contradict Minister’s Claims – Nigerian Evangelist Speaks Says Government Is “Controlled by Islamists”

 

Piers Morgan then introduced Nigerian evangelist Pastor Ezekiel, who has documented mass burials. His testimony sharply contradicted Tuggar’s narrative.

He said he had personally officiated over 70 genocide burials, including one with more than 500 victims. He revealed:

• The Nigerian government created and used terrorists to force Goodluck Jonathan from power.
• One burial involved more than 500 victims at once.
• In Borno, Christians were locked inside churches and burned alive.

Pastor Ezekiel compared the ongoing killings to the biblical persecution of Israel in Egypt and shared the following more chilling accounts:

• A coordinated massacre in 2021 swept through multiple regions but was suppressed by media and government.
• In multiple villages, men were separated from the women and slaughtered, while the women were kidnapped and raped.
• Christians have lived in “slavery” since 2021 under an Islamist-controlled regime.

He thanked Donald Trump for “showing concern,” urging him to maintain pressure until the genocide stops, stressing that support for persecuted Christians would also protect moderate Muslims targeted by jihadists.

 

Nigerians React: “Tuggar Cannot Tell the Truth About the Killings”

 

Nigerians flooded the YouTube comment section with outrage, accusing the Foreign Affairs Minister of blatant dishonesty and deliberate denial of the violence targeting Christians and moderate Muslims across the country.

One commenter, @TuuStarEntertainment, wrote:

“A Muslim president, a Muslim vice president and a Muslim foreign minister can never tell the truth on the killings of Christians and non-extreme Muslims in Nigeria.”

 

Another user, @christopherukeka429, said:

“You can’t defend this government without sounding foolish 😅.”

 

For others watching from within Nigeria, Tuggar’s dismissals were infuriating. User @TheKemiYusuf stated:

“I’m Nigerian and I live in Nigeria. This foreign minister is a liar and a joker. Christians are being slaughtered in the north and middle belt of Nigeria. It’s the truth!”

 

These reactions reflect a growing sentiment among Nigerians who feel the government is intentionally minimizing atrocities, evading accountability, and insulting the lived realities of citizens directly affected by extremist violence.

 

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