The Federal Government has rejected claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing the allegation as false and damaging to the country’s image. While the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, demanded the full and unedited airing of his recent interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, saying selective editing could distort Nigeria’s image and fuel “misleading narratives and allegations of religious persecution.,’’ his counterpart in Information and National Orientation Ministry, Mohammed Idris, said there was guaranteed religious freedom in Nigeria.

This is even as African Union declared that there was no genocide in Nigeria’s volatile North, as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, urged the US President, Donald Trump, to partner with his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, in addressing the nation’s security challenges, rather than resorting to threats of military intervention.

Both ministers spoke in reaction to allegation of genocide against Christians by US President, Trump, who has threatened military action in Nigeria, should the federal government fail to eliminate terrorists and bandits killing people in the country.

Tuggar in a post shared on X on Wednesday, said he appeared on Piers Morgan’s flagship programme to offer a factual and balanced response to claims about religious freedoms in Nigeria.

What I said at Piers Morgans interview

He said his submissions during the interview were supported by verifiable data, even if they did not align with certain preconceived opinions.

The minister insisted that transparency required the broadcast of the entire exchange “exactly as recorded.”

“I appeared on @piersmorgan’s flagship programme, @PiersUncensored, where I presented a factual and contextual perspective on the misleading narratives and allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria.

“My explanations, supported by verifiable data, may not have conformed to certain preconceived views. 

“However, for the sake of integrity and transparency, it is essential that the full interview be aired exactly as recorded, without edits or selective omissions. Nigeria’s truth must not be distorted to fit external biases,” he wrote.

ABUJA-The dust raised by the altercation between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja a few days ago is yet to settle, as former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, retd, and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, yesterday warned that any act of disrespect towards the uniformed services amounted to an affront on the authority of the Nigerian state.

The minister actually dismissed any justification for disciplining Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in the fracas, describing the encounter as “unnecessary and avoidable. In his keynote address at the national dialogue on media, terrorism, and national security, at the 21st All Nigeria Editors’ Conference, ANEC, 2025, in Abuja, Gen. Irabor said uniforms worn by military or security personnel go beyond the individual, stressing that they symbolise the power, dignity and sovereignty of the nation.

“The uniform is not about who is wearing it; it represents the authority of the state. Whether it’s a young officer or a senior one, when you make disparaging remarks or act against them, you are, in fact, insulting the state itself.”

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Irabor, who led the Nigerian Armed Forces from 2021 to 2023, described the public reactions to the FCT minister’s encounter with the officer as “largely misguided,” adding that many commentators had “missed the real issue.”

He reminded citizens that the military operates under strict codes of conduct, adding that no one, not even a general, had the right to physically assault or publicly humiliate a subordinate.

“Even as a General, I cannot slap my soldier. If I do, I will face disciplinary action. There are laid-down mechanisms for addressing misconduct, and that is what distinguishes a state governed by law from a jungle, “he added.

Drawing from legal principles, the retired general explained that every offence must be viewed through two lenses , actus reus (the act itself) and mens rea (the intent behind it).

He said while the FCT minister had authority over land matters, the heart of the controversy laid in the respect owed to state authority as embodied by uniformed officers.