Tuggar, Canadian MP, Goldie in Heated Exchange Over Genocide Claims

A diplomatic storm erupted on Tuesday during a parliamentary engagement in Ottawa as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and Canadian Member of Parliament, Sarah Goldie, engaged in a tense back-and-forth over allegations of genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

The confrontation began when MP Goldie accused Fulani groups of systematically targeting Christian communities, insisting that global silence was enabling what she described as “ongoing religious persecution.”

Goldie: “There are Fulani targeting Christians in Nigeria. These attacks are well-documented, and the international community cannot continue to look away.”

Her remarks drew an immediate and fiery response from Minister Tuggar, who dismissed the allegations as inaccurate, inflammatory, and politically motivated.

Tuggar: “This lady wouldn’t know a Fulani man, a Tiv, or an Igbo man if they stood in front of her. Because it benefits her, she is out here trying to start a war. They want to break up Nigeria like they did with Sudan.”

Tuggar accused certain Western politicians of oversimplifying Nigeria’s complex security challenges and weaponising ethnicity and religion to push geopolitical agendas.

He insisted that Nigeria’s conflicts are rooted in criminality, climate-related resource clashes, and banditry not religious persecution.

The heated exchange briefly stalled the session as diplomats attempted to de-escalate tensions.

Goldie, however, maintained her stance, insisting that multiple rights groups had documented patterns of targeted violence that should not be ignored.

The incident has sparked intense debate among observers, with analysts warning that such confrontations could strain diplomatic relations if not carefully managed.

Meanwhile, Nigerian officials reiterated that security reforms are ongoing and urged international partners to avoid narratives that could inflame tensions back home.