Don’t Turn Nigeria Into Another Sudan Over False Claims, Foreign Minister Tuggar Warns Trump

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has warned Donald Trump against making divisive remarks on Nigeria’s religious affairs.

He said such rhetoric could inflame tensions and destabilize Africa like Sudan.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has cautioned U.S. President Donald Trump against making what he described as “false and inflammatory statements” about alleged religious persecution in Nigeria, warning that such comments could “create another Sudan.”

Speaking in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, Tuggar said Trump’s remarks risk deepening divisions and instability across Africa, citing Sudan as an example of how religious and ethnic manipulation can lead to devastating conflict.

“We’ve seen what has happened with Sudan, with agitations for the partitioning of Sudan based on religion and tribal sentiments and you can see the crisis,” he stated.

Tuggar reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy built on peace, unity, and religious tolerance. Responding to a journalist’s question about Trump’s claims, he presented documents outlining Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees for freedom of religion.

“What we’ve done is to show what our Constitution and federal laws say about religious freedom and the rule of law,” he explained. “It is impossible for any level of government federal, regional, or local to endorse faith-based persecution in any way, shape, or form.”

The minister reminded the international community of Nigeria’s democratic standing and population size, noting that “Nigeria, with over 230 million citizens, is the largest democracy and country in Africa.” He added that the nation continues to play a major role in promoting regional stability as a member of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.

Tuggar’s comments come in response to a recent series of threats from President Trump, who accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities from Islamist militants. Trump had warned that the U.S. might halt all aid to Nigeria and even consider military action if the killings continued.

In a social media post, Trump said, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and may go into that country ‘guns-a-blazing’ to wipe out the terrorists.”

The Nigerian government has since rejected Trump’s claims and dismissed any suggestion of a “Christian genocide,” insisting that acts of violence in the country cut across all religions and that any form of foreign interference must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty.