Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has disowned a viral social media post falsely credited to her, which allegedly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity in Nigeria.
In a statement shared via her verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala described the circulating message as clarifying that it did not originate from her.
She warned the public against sharing or believing the false claims, adding that legal actions were being initiated 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 disclaimer followed a post titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” which falsely claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of focusing on rhetoric instead of decisive action against insecurity.
The fabricated message also claimed she urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and “secure the people.”
Condemning the impersonation, Okonjo-Iweala urged those behind it to “take responsibility” rather than hide under her name.
“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 statement comes amid renewed debate over remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria.
Trump, on his Truth Social platform, warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged attacks continued.
In response, President Tinubu reaffirmed on X that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, stressing that his administration remains committed to fostering peace and unity among all faiths.
He rejected foreign claims portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant, describing them as misleading and contrary to the nation’s long-standing diversity.
Tinubu reiterated that religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” while pledging continued collaboration with the United States and global partners to promote understanding and protect communities of all faiths.