By Ayomide Otitoju
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has disassociated herself from a viral social media post falsely attributed to her that allegedly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity in Nigeria.
On Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala, via her verified X (formerly Twitter) account, described the post as “fake and malicious” and cautioned the public against believing or sharing it. She also confirmed that legal action is being taken against those behind the impersonation.
“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.
The disputed post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of prioritising rhetoric over decisive action against banditry and insurgency, and urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and “secure the people.”
Condemning the impersonation, Okonjo-Iweala called on the perpetrators to take responsibility 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 added.
Her clarification comes amid heightened controversy following remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged on Truth Social that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria and warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued.
President Tinubu responded to Trump’s claims, emphasising on X 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 religiously intolerant, describing them as inaccurate and inconsistent with the nation’s diversity.
Tinubu reaffirmed that religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” pledging continued collaboration with the United States and other international partners to deepen mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths.
