‘Shame on you’, Tuggar slams ex-Canadian MP over Christian genocide remarks
A heated discussion took place on Piers Morgan’s program as Yusuf Tuggar, the foreign affairs minister, clashed with Goldie Ghamari, a former Canadian MP, regarding accusations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Tuggar joined the show, which aired on Tuesday, to counter the allegations, provide insight into the statistics, and explain the complex security issues facing Nigeria.
During the initial 16 minutes of the interview, Morgan referenced figures from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) that asserted over 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, along with 18,000 churches being destroyed. Tuggar refuted these numbers as misleading and questioned the religious angle, explaining that the government does not categorize deaths by religion, viewing all victims as Nigerians first. When pressed for specific statistics, the minister asserted that only 177 Christians were killed and 102 churches were attacked in the past five years in Nigeria.
Tensions increased slightly when Morgan introduced Ghamari as another guest. The Canadian politician and talk-show host suggested that Nigeria’s insecurity represents a form of jihad, linking it to the Hamas attack on Israel that occurred on October 7, 2023. She also referenced the shared Islamic faith of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima as “proof” of a complicit Islamist government amid the security crisis.
Ghamari leveled several serious accusations, claiming: “This is a government that is collaborating closely behind the scenes with the Islamic Republic of Iran. You should question the foreign minister on why Nigerian school children are displaying images of the Ayatollah, a brutal dictator who is oppressing my people in Iran.” She added: “People need to investigate the connections between the current Nigerian administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Concluding her initial statements, she remarked: “I spent seven years as a politician, Piers, and I can recognize when someone is being dishonest and evading reality. That’s precisely what this foreign minister is doing, and it’s shameful for him to lie.”
Tuggar characterized Ghamari’s remarks as ignorant and dismissed her comments as nonsensical, then passionately responded: ‘YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO CANADA’. He accused the former Canadian MP of being distant and treating the lives of Nigerians as if they were a game. Regarding Tinubu and Shettima's faith, the minister emphasized that Nigerians are more focused on regional diversity than on religion, noting that Tinubu is from the southern part of the country while Shettima is from the north.
When Morgan asked if he condemned the attacks on Christians by Islamist militants, Tuggar affirmed his stance. He shared a personal account: “I lost my father-in-law in an attack by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, so I am also a victim. I’ve lost family members in attacks, and they were Muslims,” the minister stated.
He further elaborated on the nature of the conflict: “However, it doesn’t matter whether they are Muslim or Christian because their goal is to kill, to injure, to achieve their objectives. And the primary enemy of Boko Haram is not a Christian; it is a Muslim who does not adhere to their version of Islam.”
Morgan turned to Ghamari for her response to the minister’s comments. The politician responded that the killing of Muslims does not “detract from the fact that there is a targeted ethnic cleansing of Christians in Nigeria.”
Tuggar expressed a sharp critique aimed at Ghamari: “People like her instigate conflicts in far-off regions where they have no personal stake or understanding, and they do this from the safety of their homes, far away from risk. This concerns real lives.” He elaborated further: “This individual would struggle to tell the difference between a Fulani, a Tiv, and an Igbo person even if they were right in front of her.” He accused her of having malicious intentions: “It’s clear she sees the financial gains in fueling unrest. She’s probably making money from it. She is intentionally trying to provoke a conflict.” He then referenced other disputes in Africa: “They intend to divide Nigeria just as they did with Sudan, and now they have vanished. She’s no longer talking about Sudan. She’s ignoring South Sudan. I bet she was one of those who supported the separation of Sudan.”
The minister emphasized Nigeria's significant role within Africa: “Nigeria is the largest country by population on the continent. It acts as Africa's main shield in accommodating migrants and upholding religious liberty. It represents the biggest democracy in Africa.” He reiterated his disapproval of her actions: “But people like you, who show no real concern for the rights of either Christians or Muslims or Africans, will keep advocating for Nigeria’s division and conflict, similar to what occurred in South Sudan, while staying silent because you’ve moved on.”
He concluded his remarks: “You are apathetic towards the loss of lives. For you, it’s just another African nation to be torn apart. You don’t care who dies. It won’t happen to Nigeria. Move on to your next project. You are a disgrace.”
“You bring shame to Canada. I’m shocked that you proclaim to be a politician in Canada. Move on to the next chapter. Leave us alone.” Morgan ended the interview shortly thereafter.
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