Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has refuted reports claiming he was involved in an altercation with Bauchi State Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau, clarifying that it was actually Governor Bala Mohammed who threatened to slap him during Vice President Kashim Shettima's recent visit to the state.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Tuggar revealed that the incident occurred inside a vehicle they shared with the Vice President. "We were in the same vehicle with the Vice President when he asked me something. Governor Bala Mohammed, who was sitting nearby, interrupted and started talking, even though the conversation had nothing to do with him," Tuggar explained.

According to the minister, the situation escalated when Governor Mohammed allegedly began insulting his late father. "He insulted my late father, a man who died more than 20 years ago, and even went as far as standing up to say he would slap me," Tuggar stated.

The minister said he stood up in response to the governor's threat. "I got up as well to let him know that if we were left alone, I didn't believe he could do anything to me, let alone slap me," he added.

Tuggar further alleged that the deputy governor later rushed toward the vehicle, also threatening to slap him, but couldn't get close. "After that, his deputy came running toward the vehicle saying he too would slap me, but he didn't even get close. Don't forget, the Vice President was right there with us and the security guards there are not that of Bauchi," he emphasized.

The Foreign Affairs Minister accused associates of Governor Mohammed of spreading misinformation on social media, falsely claiming that the deputy governor had slapped him. "That is not true. Even the deputy governor, Jatau, knows nothing like that happened. Later, they changed the story to say I wasn't slapped at all," Tuggar clarified.

This clarification comes after reports circulated in April alleging that Bauchi State Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau had slapped Minister Tuggar during the turbaning ceremony of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, as the Makama Babba I of the Bauchi Emirate.

The Bauchi State Government has yet to respond to these allegations by the Minister of Foreign Affairs as of the time of this report.