Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization, has disowned a widely shared social media post that was falsely attributed to her and criticized President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity.
The post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us—our leaders did,” claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of prioritizing rhetoric over decisive action against banditry and insurgency, and that the former Minister of Finance urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and “secure the people.”
The WTO chief responded on Saturday via her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
She said that legal action was being taken against individuals responsible for the impersonation and advised the public not to believe or spread the fake information.
“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,” she wrote.
Okonjo-Iweala also denounced the impersonation and called on the perpetrators to accept accountability rather than conceal their identities.
“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 response coincided with fresh controversy surrounding remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria.
Trump warned on his Truth Social platform that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings persisted.
The statement received a lot of backlash and prompted President Tinubu and the Nigerian government to formally respond, reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and religious freedom.
Tinubu emphasized in a post on his X handle that his administration actively interacts with leaders of all faiths to promote peace and security, adding that the Nigerian Constitution ensures freedom of religion.
Tinubu denounced international depictions of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant society, calling them false and at odds with the nation’s unity and diversity.
The president reiterated Nigeria’s position, stating that religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”
In order to promote mutual understanding and safeguard communities of all religions, he also promised to keep collaborating with the US and other international allies.
But on Wednesday night, Trump reaffirmed that if the purported persecution of Christians in Nigeria continues, he is prepared to take direct action.
The United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” he continued, adding that his government would be “ready, willing, and able to protect our great Christian population around the world.”
Additionally, Trump asked Congressmen Riley Moore, Tom Cole, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and others to look into the matter and report back to him.
