52 Not 18,000 Nigerian Churches Attacked In 2 Years — Tuggar
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has debunked international reports alleging that 18,000 churches have been destroyed in Nigeria.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Tuggar insisted that verified government records showed that only 52 churches have been attacked in the past two years and 102 since 2009.
Tuggar said the exaggerated figures circulating abroad distort Nigeria’s reality and fuel a misleading narrative of religious genocide.
Responding to a question on whether he knew the exact number of churches burnt nationwide, Tuggar said the government had clear records and had never attempted to conceal the scale of attacks.
“Yes, I know. Over the past two years, there have been 52 churches depending on the region you are talking about,” he said.
“Since 2009, attacks on churches are 102. They were not destroyed — we are not hiding anything.”
The minister added that the same applies to mosques that have been attacked, although he refrained from detailing those figures to avoid heightening religious sensitivities.
“We have mosques that have been destroyed; I don’t even want to talk about that,” he said.
Tuggar argued that if a genocide against Christians were unfolding in Nigeria, local leaders, especially those in predominantly Christian states, would be the first to raise the alarm.
He pointed to Benue State as an example, noting that its governor is a Catholic reverend father.
“The Governor of Benue State is a reverend father,” he said. “He would be screaming it at the top of his voice if there was genocide. But he knows there isn’t, and that is why he is not doing so.”
The minister emphasised that Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, ranging from banditry to terrorism and communal clashes, are complex and not driven solely by religion.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
