Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has revealed that only 177 Christians have been killed and 102 churches attacked in the last five years.

Tuggar made the disclosure during a heated appearance on the Piers Morgan Show on Tuesday, where he also challenged allegations of targeted attacks against Christians in Nigeria.

The development comes after Tuggar appeared on the programme to dispute figures presented by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which claims more than 50,000 Christians have been killed and 18,000 churches destroyed in Nigeria since 2009.

The minister rejected the statistics as inaccurate, stressing that the Nigerian government does not classify casualties by religion.

Pressed for alternative figures, Tuggar said 177 Christians had been killed and 102 churches attacked in the last five years, figures he insisted reflected verified government records.

Tensions heightened when Morgan introduced Ghamari into the discussion.

The former Canadian MP alleged that insecurity in Nigeria amounted to “jihad” and drew parallels with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

She also suggested that the shared Islamic faith of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima was indicative of an “Islamist” government enabling violence.

Ghamari further accused Nigeria of having ties with Iran, alleging that schoolchildren in the country had been seen holding photos of the Iranian Ayatollah. She labelled Tuggar a liar and claimed he was avoiding the truth.

“By the way, this is a government that is working closely behind the scenes with the Islamic Republic of Iran. You should ask the foreign minister why Nigerian schoolchildren are holding pictures of the Ayatollah, who is a brutal dictator and is murdering my people in Iran,” she said.

“People need to look into the linkages between the current Nigerian government and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“I was a politician for seven years, Piers, and I can tell when someone is lying and avoiding the truth. That’s exactly what this foreign minister is doing, and shame on him for lying,” she added.

Tuggar dismissed her comments as ignorant and dangerous, accusing her of making inflammatory claims from a distance without understanding Nigeria’s complexities. He argued that Nigerians focus more on regional balance than religion in political leadership.

The minister, who disclosed that he lost his father-in-law to Boko Haram, emphasised that extremist groups target both Christians and Muslims. He insisted that Boko Haram’s primary victims are Muslims who reject the group’s ideology.

Ghamari maintained that attacks on Muslims do not negate what she described as “targeted ethnic cleansing” of Christians in Nigeria.

Responding, Tuggar accused her of pushing narratives that could fuel conflict and attempting to portray Nigeria as a nation on the brink of disintegration. He suggested she was part of efforts to fracture African countries, citing Sudan as an example.

Tuggar defended Nigeria’s record as Africa’s largest democracy and a haven for migrants with diverse religious freedoms. He described Ghamari as “a disgrace” and urged her to stop promoting narratives that could endanger Nigeria’s stability.

He said, “It’s not going to happen to Nigeria. Move on to your next project. You’re a disgrace. You’re a disgrace to the Canadian nation. I’m shocked that you say that you actually practice as a politician in Canada. Move on to the next episode. Leave us alone.”