Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar on Tuesday hit back at US President Donald Trump’s claims that the Nigerian government has failed to curb persecution of Christians in the West African nation.
At a press conference in Berlin with his German counterpart Johann Wadefull, Tugger pointed to a physical copy of his country’s “constitutional commitment to religious freedom and the rule of law.”
“This shows that it is impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported by the Nigerian government at any level, be it federal, regional, local,” Tuggar said.
Trump threatened military action in Nigeria
Over the weekend, Trump said on his Truth social platform that he would cut off all aid and assistance to Nigeria if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” He also threatened military action.
“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the United States will immediately cease all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and go ‘gun-in’ to that infamous country to completely eliminate the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrific atrocities,” Trump wrote in the post.
“I am directing my War Department to be prepared for possible action. If we attack, it will be swift, brutal and sweet, just as terrorist thugs attack our beloved Christians!” He said.
The warning of possible military action came after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu hit back at Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” because of religious violence.
Why is Trump targeting Nigeria?
According to the US outlet, a group of conservative think tanks, Christian organizations and other advocates lobbied hard for the Trump administration to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC. Hill.
The group of advocates sent a letter to the Trump administration on October 15. Others, such as comedian Bill Maher and Grammy Award-winning artist Nicki Minaj, have also lent their support to the issue, calling for this designation to be applied to Nigeria.
cnn It was reported that Trump was “immediately” angry. While boarding Air Force One to Florida on Friday afternoon, he watched a Fox News segment about how Christians were being targeted by Islamic groups in Nigeria.
But claims that the government is not doing enough to protect Christians in the country have sparked a strong reaction in the West African nation as both Christians and Muslims have come under attacks from radical Islamic groups.
This claim has long been circulating in right-wing and conservative circles, but appears to have gained momentum in recent months, with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas introducing a bill in August to impose sanctions against Nigeria for alleged religious freedom violations.
Edited by: Zack Crellin