Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has cautioned former U.S. President Donald Trump against spreading false claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, warning that such remarks could “create another Sudan.”
Speaking in Berlin, Germany, Tuggar said careless comments from influential global figures risk fueling divisions across Africa. He recalled how religious and ethnic manipulation once plunged Sudan into conflict and long-term instability.
Tuggar reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy built on peace, unity, and religious freedom—contrary to allegations of state-backed persecution of Christians.
When asked to respond to Trump’s recent threats and accusations, Tuggar presented a document detailing Nigeria’s legal and constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
“Our Constitution and federal laws clearly protect freedom of religion,” he said. “It’s impossible for persecution to be supported at any level of government in Nigeria—federal, regional, or local.”
The minister stressed that Nigeria’s diversity should not be mistaken for division, describing the nation as “the largest democracy and most populous country in Africa.”
Drawing lessons from Sudan’s turmoil, Tuggar warned against using religion or ethnicity as political weapons. “We’ve seen how Sudan was torn apart by agitations based on religion and tribal sentiments—and the crisis that followed,” he said.
He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to peace and its role within the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, adding: “When instability arises, it’s African countries like Nigeria that are left to help restore order.”
Trump had earlier accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities and threatened to cut U.S. aid or launch military action. In a post on his social platform, he wrote that America could go into Nigeria “guns blazing” if the killings continued.
Nigeria has since rejected Trump’s claims and any suggestion of unilateral U.S. intervention, insisting that violence in the country affects people of all faiths and that any cooperation must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty.
