A United States senator, Ted Cruz, has launched a fresh attack on Nigerian authorities over the country’s worsening security situation, accusing officials of complicity in violence against Christians and condemning what he described as contradictory claims regarding US intervention.
Cruz, speaking during a congressional session on Tuesday, alleged that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, attributing the deaths to sustained attacks by Islamist extremist groups.
According to him, Nigeria accounts for the highest number of faith-based killings globally, with thousands of churches, schools and religious institutions also destroyed in the violence.
“More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world,” he said, adding that over 20,000 religious structures have been razed within the same period.
The lawmaker also pointed to recent incidents during the Easter period, claiming that several Christians were either killed or abducted, a development he said highlights the persistence of insecurity.
Cruz accused Nigerian authorities of failing to take decisive action, arguing that both policy gaps and alleged inaction have enabled the violence to continue.
“At the state level, some states enforce blasphemy and Sharia laws, while at the federal level, the government appears to look the other way,” he said.
He maintained that such conditions have contributed to the escalation of attacks and deepened concerns over religious freedom in the country.
The senator further referenced his proposed legislation, the Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which seeks to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and impose sanctions on officials implicated in violations of religious rights.
He argued that the United States already possesses sufficient intelligence to identify culpable individuals and should take stronger measures to hold them accountable.
Cruz also recalled previous engagements with Nigerian security officials, who had assured him of efforts to curb the violence, but said there has been little evidence of progress.
“I made it clear that their commitment would be judged by results. So far, those results have not materialised,” he said.
The senator cited actions taken by US President Donald Trump, including the designation of Nigeria under the CPC framework and measures targeting extremist groups such as ISIS affiliates, as part of Washington’s response to the crisis.
However, he criticised what he described as mixed signals from Nigerian authorities regarding foreign intervention.
“While Nigerian officials have at times said they welcomed or even requested US action, their statements are, frankly, hypocritical and infuriating,” he said.
Cruz called for a renewed assessment of the situation and urged the US government to intensify diplomatic and strategic efforts to address the violence.
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