𝐎𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐨-𝐈𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐮 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲

Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has disowned a viral social media post falsely attributed to her, which criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity. She described the message as fake and malicious, urging the public not to believe or share it.

The post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” claimed Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of prioritising rhetoric over decisive action against banditry and insurgency. It also purported that she urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and “secure the people.”

Reacting via her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the WTO chief confirmed the post did not originate from her and warned that legal action is being taken against the perpetrators. She wrote, “Beware, this story going around on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook is false! We are taking action! The person who did this could not even spell my name.”

Okonjo-Iweala further condemned the impersonation, urging the culprits to take responsibility. “Whichever coward did this should write the message in their own name and not hide behind mine or anyone else’s! Scammers and 419ers, stop!” she added.

Her clarification comes amid renewed controversy following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria. On his Truth Social platform, Trump warned the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued.

The remarks drew widespread criticism, prompting President Tinubu and the Nigerian government to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and religious freedom. In a post on X, Tinubu emphasised that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration actively engages leaders of all faiths to promote peace and security.

He rejected foreign portrayals of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant nation, describing them as inaccurate, and reiterated that religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.” The President also pledged to continue collaborating with the United States and other global partners to deepen mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths.

However, Trump later reiterated his willingness to take direct action if the alleged persecution of Christians continues, urging Congress members, including Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, to investigate and report back.