Nigerian Officials Complicity: US Senator Ted Cruz Accuses Government of Facilitating Killings of Christians
By: Abudu Olalekan
There was a tense moment on Capitol Hill this week. During a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on America’s counterterrorism strategy in Africa, US Senator Ted Cruz didn’t hold back.
He accused Nigerian officials of being complicit in what he called the mass killing of Christians in the country. And he pointed a finger at the implementation of Sharia law in several northern states, saying it’s helped fuel the violence while Nigerian authorities have been slow to respond.
Cruz said he’s heard promises before. He recalled a past meeting with Nigerian defence and security officials, when they assured him the violence would end.
“I told them I would judge their commitment by the results,” Cruz said. “Those results have yet to materialise.”
Then he brought up the legislation he introduced in October: the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. In his view, it’s meant to force Nigerian government officials to answer for alleged complicity in attacks on Christians.
During the hearing, Cruz pressed Nick Checker, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, on whether US engagement with Nigeria has actually changed anything—especially under President Donald Trump.
Checker didn’t deny there’s a problem. But he said Nigeria has shown some cooperation since the designation took effect.
“We’ve seen some positive movements,” Checker told the panel, “including leadership changes in Nigerian security services, recruitment of additional troops, and deployment of forest guards to areas affected by violence.”
He also pointed to increased prosecution of people accused of terrorism, and the creation of a bilateral high-level working group after talks between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Under-Secretary of State, Allison Hooker. Recent US support for Nigerian security forces, he added, reflects that ongoing cooperation.
Still, Checker was careful not to overstate things. “We’ve seen positive steps by the Nigerians,” he said, “but certainly more can be done. We’ll keep pressing for further action.”
For Cruz, though, the numbers tell a grim story. He claimed Nigeria has the highest number of Christians killed for their faith anywhere in the world. Since 2009, he said, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed, and over 20,000 churches, schools, and religious institutions have been destroyed.
“Nigerian officials had been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” Cruz said.
