Foreign Affairs Minister Cautions: ‘Don’t Turn Nigeria to another Sudan

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has warned United States President Donald Trump not to “create another Sudan” through false allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria.

Speaking in Berlin, Germany, Tuggar cautioned that careless remarks from influential global figures could inflame divisions across Africa, recalling how sectarian and ethnic manipulation once tore Sudan apart and plunged the region into crisis.

He stressed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy committed to peace, unity, and religious freedom, contrary to claims suggesting state-backed persecution of Christians.

Responding to a journalist who asked how he reacted to Trump’s menacing remarks and allegations, Tuggar held up a document that outlines Nigeria’s legal and constitutional commitment to religious freedom.

“Well, I will react by showing you what we have. I think the document that we came up with is what I want to show her. What we’ve done is we’ve articulated what our Constitution says about religious freedom, what our federal laws say about religious freedom, and Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom and rule of law,” the minister stated.

He explained that Nigeria’s legal system makes it impossible for any level of government to endorse persecution based on faith.

“All the answers are in there and this is what guides us, and this is what shows that it’s impossible for there to be a religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape, or form by the government of Nigeria at any level, be it federal, be it regional, be it local,” he said.

Tuggar reminded the international community that Nigeria’s diversity should not be mistaken for division, stressing the country’s democratic credentials. “Nigeria has a population of 230 million souls. It’s the largest democracy on the African continent. It’s the largest country on the continent,” he said.

Drawing parallels with Su- dan’s experience, he cautioned against using religion or ethnicity as political tools. “We’ve seen what has happened with Sudan, with agitations for the partitioning of Sudan based on religion, based on tribal sentiments And you can see the crisis,” Tuggar said, noting that the outcome has been years of instability. He concluded by reaffirming Nigeria’s role in promoting peace across the continent.

“So, it’s important. And who gets left behind to work towards resolving such problems? It’s the African countries. It’s countries like Nigeria that is a member of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. So, this is what I have to say. I will share this copy with you,” the minister stated.