Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a firm and unambiguous disclaimer over a fabricated letter currently making the rounds on social media and other online platforms, warning the public, the diplomatic community, and the Government of Liberia that the document is fake, unauthorised, and did not originate from any official channel of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The letter in question purports to have been signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and is addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia. Its contents relate to statements attributed to a Nigerian religious leader. The Ministry has stated categorically that no such correspondence was issued, and that the document bears no connection whatsoever to the Ministry or to the official foreign policy apparatus of the Nigerian government.
In its press release dated Tuesday, 9 June 2026, the Ministry described the letter as a fabrication designed to mislead the public and sow diplomatic discord between two nations that share a strong and longstanding relationship. A preliminary review of the document, the Ministry noted, revealed several inconsistencies with established diplomatic communication procedures and official correspondence protocols, suggesting the forgery was not produced by anyone with intimate knowledge of how the Ministry actually operates.
The incident highlights a pattern that has become increasingly common in an era of readily available digital tools and platforms capable of spreading fabricated content at extraordinary speed. A fake letter bearing the name of a serving minister and addressed to a foreign government has the potential, if left unchallenged, to generate genuine diplomatic friction, damage bilateral relationships, and undermine public trust in the institutions and individuals it falsely implicates. The Ministry’s swift and direct response is precisely the kind of institutional reflex that such incidents require.
Security agencies have been notified and are taking steps to identify the source of the fraudulent document. The Ministry has made clear that it intends to pursue the matter and bring those responsible to account. That commitment matters. Diplomatic forgeries are not victimless acts. They are deliberate attempts to manipulate international relationships using the credibility of real institutions and real officials, and the individuals behind them should face real consequences.
The Ministry has urged media organisations, public stakeholders, and private individuals to disregard the letter entirely and to stop circulating it. In the current information environment, where a screenshot can travel faster than any official correction, the damage done by viral misinformation can outpace even the most determined institutional response. Every share of the fake letter extends its reach. Every person who pauses to verify before sharing helps contain it.
Closing its statement, the Ministry took care to reaffirm Nigeria’s relationship with Liberia directly, expressing the country’s continued friendship, goodwill, and highest consideration for the Liberian government and people. It is a deliberate and important diplomatic gesture. Whatever the intent of those who created the fake letter, Nigeria is signalling that it will not allow a forgery to define or damage a relationship it values. The two countries have too much shared history and too much bilateral goodwill for a fabricated document to be allowed to stand as any kind of statement about how Nigeria views its neighbour.
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