Nigeria’s Foreign Minister has forcefully rejected recent allegations of a state-backed “genocide” against Christians in the country, asserting that such government-supported religious persecution is “impossible” under Nigerian law.
The statement was made by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar during a press conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. The remarks appear to be a direct response to claims previously leveled by former US President Donald Trump, who had described the situation for Christians in Nigeria as an “existential Christian genocide.”
Addressing the issue, Minister Tuggar pointed to Nigeria’s foundational legal principles as the ultimate defense against such accusations.
“What guides us… shows that it’s impossible for there to be a religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape, or form by the government of Nigeria at any level, be it federal, be it regional, be it local. It’s impossible,” Tuggar stated. “Our laws are there… all the answers lie in this.”
Tuggar emphasized the nation’s “constitutional commitment to religious freedom and rule of law” as the bedrock of its governance.
The rebuttal comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s complex religious and security landscape. With a population of approximately 220 million people, the country is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria has faced prolonged and severe insecurity from multiple fronts, including the extremist group Boko Haram. The Islamist militant organization seeks to establish a radical interpretation of Islamic law and has perpetrated widespread violence, targeting both Christians and Muslims whom it deems not sufficiently adherent to its ideology.
The Nigerian government’s position, as articulated by Minister Tuggar, distinguishes between acts of terror by non-state actors and any official state policy, maintaining that the constitution expressly forbids the latter from engaging in or supporting religious persecution.