Nigerian Officials are Involved in the Killing of Christians — US Senator Ted Cruz

By Chisom Adaeze 

US Senator Ted Cruz alleges Nigerian officials are complicit in attacks on Christians, sparking fresh debate on insecurity and religious violence in Nigeria.

A United States Senator, Ted Cruz, has accused unnamed Nigerian government officials of being complicit in attacks against Christians in the country.

Cruz made the allegation during a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on US counterterrorism strategy in Africa, held on Tuesday. He claimed Nigeria records the highest number of Christians killed for their faith globally, citing figures of over 50,000 deaths and more than 20,000 churches, schools, and religious buildings destroyed since 2009.

According to him, Nigerian officials have, in some cases, been “complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” a claim that has yet to be officially responded to by the Federal Government.

The senator also criticised the pace of Nigeria’s response to insecurity, recalling previous engagements where Nigerian defence officials reportedly assured the United States that progress would be made in tackling violence.

“I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialise,” Cruz said.

He further linked parts of the violence to the operation of Sharia law in some northern states, while arguing that government responses to insecurity remain insufficient.

Cruz also revealed that he had introduced the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025,” a bill he said is aimed at holding Nigerian officials accountable over alleged religiously motivated violence.

During the hearing, a senior official of the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, Nick Nick Chesser, responded by stating that Nigeria had made some progress in its counterterrorism efforts.

He noted improvements such as leadership changes within Nigeria’s security agencies, increased troop deployment, recruitment of forest guards, and greater prosecution of suspected terrorists.

Chesser also referenced the establishment of a bilateral high-level working group following discussions between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US officials, aimed at strengthening security cooperation.

“We’ve seen some positive movements, including leadership changes and increased operations in affected areas, but more can still be done,” he said.

He added that the United States would continue to work with Nigeria to improve security outcomes and address ongoing violence.

The allegations by Cruz come amid contrasting narratives, as former Information Minister Lai Mohammed recently argued that Boko Haram has killed more Muslims than Christians, dismissing claims of a targeted genocide.

The issue continues to spark international debate over the nature of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in relation to religious identity and counterterrorism efforts.