Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has distanced herself from a viral social media post falsely credited to her, which attacked President Bola Tinubu over the government’s approach to tackling insecurity across Nigeria.
In a statement shared on her verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala denounced the circulating message as fabricated and malicious, stressing that she had no connection with it.
“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.
She warned Nigerians against sharing or amplifying the false statement and disclosed that legal measures were being initiated to track down and prosecute those behind the impersonation.
The viral post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” falsely claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of making empty statements instead of taking concrete action against insecurity. It also purportedly quoted her as telling Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and focus on “securing the people.”
Condemning the impersonation, Okonjo-Iweala urged those responsible to take ownership of their opinions instead of hiding behind her identity. “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 declared.
Her statement came amid renewed controversy over comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria. On his Truth Social platform, Trump warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued.
Responding to Trump’s claims, President Tinubu reiterated that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration is committed to fostering peace among all faith groups.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant nation is inaccurate and inconsistent with our diversity and unity,” Tinubu wrote on X. He further stressed that religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”
The President also pledged to continue working with the United States and other global partners to enhance understanding and protect communities of all faiths across the country.
