United States Senator Ted Cruz has accused some Nigerian government officials of being complicit in what he described as the mass killing of Christians in the country.
Cruz made the allegation on Tuesday during a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on the United States’ counterterrorism strategy in Africa. He claimed that Nigeria records the highest number of Christians killed for their faith globally.
According to the lawmaker, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, while over 20,000 churches, schools, and religious institutions have been destroyed.
“Nigerian officials have, unfortunately, been complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” Cruz stated.
He attributed part of the ongoing violence to the implementation of Sharia law in several northern states and criticised Nigerian authorities for what he described as a slow and inadequate response to security challenges.
Cruz also recalled a previous meeting with Nigerian defence and security officials, noting that assurances given to address the violence have yet to yield tangible results.
“I told them I would judge their commitment by results, and those results have yet to materialise,” he added.
In October, the senator introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a bill aimed at holding Nigerian officials accountable for alleged complicity in attacks on Christians.
During the hearing, Cruz questioned Nick Checker, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, on whether diplomatic engagements between both countries had produced meaningful outcomes, particularly following actions taken under former US President Donald Trump.
In response, Checker acknowledged that Nigeria has shown some level of cooperation with US requests, citing reforms within the country’s security framework.
“We’ve seen some positive developments, including leadership changes in Nigerian security services, increased troop recruitment, and deployment of forest guards to affected areas,” he said.
He also highlighted increased prosecution of individuals accused of terrorism and the establishment of a bilateral high-level working group following discussions between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Under-Secretary of State, Allison Hooker.
Checker added that recent US support for Nigerian security forces reflects ongoing cooperation between both nations.
“We’ve seen positive steps by the Nigerians, but certainly more can be done,” he said, stressing that the US would continue to push for further action.
Margaret ABAH
