Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied a viral social media post falsely credited to her, which allegedly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to insecurity in Nigeria.
The post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” accused Nigerian leaders of failing to tackle banditry and urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and focus on securing lives and property.
Reacting on Saturday through her verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Okonjo-Iweala described the message as fake and malicious, saying it did not come from her.
“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 WTO chief condemned those spreading the false statement and warned them to stop using her name for misinformation.
“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.
Okonjo-Iweala’s response comes amid growing public debate following comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria.
Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued, a statement that drew criticism from Nigerian officials.
In reaction, President Tinubu reaffirmed that Nigeria’s Constitution protects freedom of religion and described claims of persecution as misleading.
He stated that his administration continues to engage religious leaders to promote peace, adding that Nigeria’s diversity and unity remain its strength.
Trump, however, restated his position on Wednesday, saying his administration “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” and called on US lawmakers to investigate the alleged persecution further.
