Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, firmly asserted on Tuesday that any state involvement in religious persecution is “impossible” under the country’s current laws and constitution. He made these remarks during a press conference in Berlin.
The Minister was directly responding to a question about U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning. Trump had threatened possible “fast” military action against Nigeria if it fails to crack down on the alleged killing of Christians.
Constitutional Guarantees Defend Religious Freedom
Tuggar addressed the concerns while speaking alongside his German counterpart. He highlighted Nigeria’s foundational “constitutional commitment to religious freedom and rule of law.”
“This is what shows that there can’t 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, be it regional, be it local, it’s impossible,” Tuggar declared.
Nigeria’s population is estimated at 220 million people. The citizenry is almost equally divided between Christians and Muslims.
Security Crisis Is Not Purely Religious
Nigeria has long contended with insecurity originating from various fronts. This includes violence from the extremist group Boko Haram, which seeks to impose a radical interpretation of Islamic law. This group has also targeted Muslims it deems insufficiently devout.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the violence is not a simple case of religious persecution. He warned against attempts to create division along religious lines, drawing a parallel to the crisis in Sudan. He stated that the world must avoid creating “another Sudan” through agitation based on tribal or religious sentiments.
Guinea-Bissau Election Campaign Begins Without Main Opposition
Armenian Dram
Ghana Cedi
Gambian Dalasi
Guinea Franc
Nigerian Naira
CFA Franc BEAC
