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Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Reveals ‘Only 177 Christians Killed, 102 Churches Attacked In Five Years

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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.”

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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo

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Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.

The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.

PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.

Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.

He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.

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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.

The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.

“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.

According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.

The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.

“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”

It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.

The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.

“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.

The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.

The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.

According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.

“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.

It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.

The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.

“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.

The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”

It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.

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