Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has sparked controversy after claiming that only 177 Christians have been killed in the country over the past five years.
The statement was made during his appearance on Piers Morgan’s show, where he sought to challenge reports alleging widespread violence against Christians and clarify official figures.
During the interview, Tuggar dismissed claims that tens of thousands of Christians had been killed, stressing that the government does not categorize victims by religion.
He emphasized that every Nigerian is viewed equally, and that framing attacks as targeting a specific religious group was misleading.
Tuggar also revealed that in the same period, 98 people were injured, seven were abducted, and 102 churches were attacked.
He further stated that these numbers reflect Nigeria’s complex security challenges rather than a targeted campaign against Christians.
Tuggar urged the public and international observers to consider the broader context of violence in Nigeria, including attacks by insurgent groups that affect citizens of all faiths.
However, his claims have been met with skepticism internationally.
At a congressional hearing in Washington, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore questioned the accuracy of Tuggar’s figures, highlighting the significant difference between the minister’s data and reports from civil society organizations.
Moore expressed concern over what he described as a “gross understatement” of the scale of violence, stressing the need for transparency and reliable reporting from the Nigerian government.
it never affected him I mean the minister because he rants nonsense definitely he doesn’t know what happens and what is happening in the country is painful to those been affected. May God give us peace in this nation