Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, has called for the full airing of his recent appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, cautioning that selective editing could misrepresent Nigeria and amplify misleading claims of religious persecution.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, Tuggar said his appearance on the programme was intended to provide a factual and balanced perspective on concerns over religious freedom in Nigeria.
He stressed that his statements during the interview were backed by verifiable data, even if they challenged certain preconceived opinions.
“I appeared on @piersmorgan’s flagship programme, @PiersUncensored, where I presented a factual and contextual perspective on the misleading narratives and allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria.
“My explanations, supported by verifiable data, may not have conformed to certain preconceived views. However, for the sake of integrity and transparency, it is essential that the full interview be aired exactly as recorded, without edits or selective omissions. Nigeria’s truth must not be distorted to fit external biases”, Tuggar wrote.
As of Wednesday, the full interview had yet to be released on the official platforms of Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Tuggar reiterated that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and upholds the rule of law, making any state-backed discrimination “unthinkable.”
Concerns over religious persecution in Nigeria have resurfaced in recent months following debates in the United States Congress about categorising the country as a “country of particular concern” and potentially imposing sanctions.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report dismissing claims of a so-called “Christian genocide” in Nigeria as a dangerous and misleading narrative.
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The report highlighted the government’s commitment to secularism, interfaith dialogue, and the protection of religious freedoms.
“Rather than perpetuating a narrative that reinforces divisions and fuels further violence, analysts need to adopt a more nuanced and balanced understanding that recognises Nigeria’s ethno-religious dynamics and the many efforts underway to promote peace, tolerance, and coexistence,” the report stated.
Despite these clarifications, on October 31, Donald Trump, U.S. President re-designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing what he described as the government’s failure to curb attacks against Christians.
