US Senator Cruz laments continued killings of Christians in Nigeria, urges Trump to hold state, federal governments officials accountable

International, North America, Politics

INTERNATIONAL (NPA) — United States Senator Ted Cruz has again condemned the killings of Christians in Nigeria, accusing authorities of complicity and urging the U.S. government to hold both state and federal officials accountable.

In a video, today, posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Cruz said: “More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Since 2009, Islamic jihadists have murdered more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria, and more than 20,000 churches, schools, and religious institutions have been destroyed, most burned to the ground.”

He added that scores of Christians and others were kidnapped during Holy Week, alleging that “Nigerian officials have been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities.”

“At the state level, a dozen Nigerian states implement Islamic blasphemy and Sharia laws. At the federal level, the government looks the other way at Islamic violence. The result is, unsurprisingly, yet more jihadist violence,” he said.

The Texas senator recalled introducing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which seeks to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list to compel stronger action.

He lamented that despite assurances from Nigerian officials during visits to Washington, the situation had not improved.

Cruz also claimed that the U.S. government is aware of officials allegedly enabling the violence and should take action against them. “I’m sorry to say that Nigerian officials are, at minimum, in denial,” he said.

He criticised Nigerian authorities, saying they had pushed back against his comments while doing nothing to stop the attacks on Christians, even as he continued to call for an end to the killings.

Recalling meetings with senior defence officials last year, Cruz said: “They told me they are committed to ending the violence.” However, he added that he would judge their words by results, noting that months later, “those results are yet to materialise.”

He further urged President Donald Trump to follow through on commitments to use all instruments of statecraft to address the crisis and ensure the protection of Nigeria Chrsiatians.

Calling the promises of Nigerian officials “infuriating and hypocritical,” Cruz reiterated his call for decisive action by the United States Government to halt the violence.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted killings of Christians by Islamic jihadists, stating that attacks across several communities are not directed at any specific group. It noted that Muslims, Christians, and traditional worshippers have all been victims of violence by terrorist groups in the country.