KEY POINTS
- US Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian government officials of complicity in attacks on Christians during a Senate subcommittee hearing.
- Cruz cited more than 50,000 Christians killed since 2009 and over 20,000 churches and religious buildings destroyed.
- Former information minister Lai Mohammed dismissed the genocide claim as “fake news,” saying Boko Haram has killed more Muslims.
US Senator Ted Cruz has put Nigerian government officials at the center of a brewing diplomatic row, accusing them of complicity in the killing of Christians across the country. Now, Abuja faces fresh pressure to defend its record on religious freedom.
Speaking Tuesday at a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on the United States counterterrorism strategy in Africa, Cruz painted a stark picture. He claimed Nigeria records the highest number of Christians killed for their faith anywhere in the world.
Specifically, the Texas Republican said attackers have killed more than 50,000 Christians since 2009. Additionally, he cited the destruction of over 20,000 churches, schools and other religious buildings during the same stretch. “Nigerian officials had been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” Cruz said.
He linked part of the violence to the operation of Sharia law in some northern states. He also faulted Nigerian authorities, saying their response to insecurity has been slow. Cruz recalled an earlier meeting with Nigerian defense and security officials. They had assured him they would address the violence. However, he said those promises have yet to deliver. “I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialize,” he said.
A new bill on the table
In October, Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. According to him, the bill would hold Nigerian government officials accountable for alleged involvement in attacks on Christians.
During the session, Cruz pressed Nick Checker, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, on whether engagement between Washington and Abuja has produced meaningful progress, especially after actions taken under President Donald Trump.
Checker pushed back gently. He said Nigeria has shown some cooperation and pointed to leadership changes in the security services, recruitment of additional troops and deployment of forest guards to violence-hit areas.
“We’ve seen some positive movements, including leadership changes in Nigerian security services, recruitment of additional troops, and deployment of forest guards to areas affected by violence,” he said.
Furthermore, Checker noted an uptick in the prosecution of suspected terrorists. He cited the creation of a bilateral high-level working group following talks between Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US undersecretary of state Allison Hooker.
Lai Mohammed pushes back
Meanwhile, former Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed dismissed claims of a targeted genocide against Christians in Nigeria. He spoke Wednesday in the United Kingdom while fielding questions from students of Abbey College, Cambridge.
“There should be more understanding on the part of the developed world. Now, people say that there is religious persecution in Nigeria and that there is genocide against Christians. It’s not true. It is fake news,” Mohammed said.
He argued Boko Haram first emerged as a movement targeting Muslims who embraced Western education, noting that early victims were largely Muslims.
With Cruz’s bill working its way through the Senate, the diplomatic friction may sharpen in the months ahead. Both narratives now sit on the table, and Nigeria’s federal government will likely have to make its own case to Washington.
