Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has dismissed claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, describing such allegations as “impossible.”
Tuggar made the remarks on Tuesday in Berlin during a meeting with Germany’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Johann Wadephul, amid renewed concerns over alleged religious violence in Nigeria.
The Minister’s comments followed the recent decision by United States President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” accusing the government of failing to protect Christians from attacks.
Tuggar, however, said Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and firmly upholds the rule of law, making any form of state-backed persecution unthinkable.
“This (the constitution) is what shows that it is 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, regional, or local. It is impossible,” he said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity, and to working with international partners to promote peace, tolerance and national unity.
