US Senator, Ted Cruz Alleges Nigerian Officials Complicit in Killings of Christians

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – US Senator, Ted Cruz has accused some Nigerian government officials of being complicit in the killing of Christians in the country.

Speaking on Tuesday at a US Senate foreign relations subcommittee hearing on counterterrorism in Africa, Cruz said more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.

He claimed that since 2009, over 50,000 Christians have been killed and more than 20,000 churches, schools, and religious buildings destroyed, mostly by extremist groups.

The senator blamed the spread of Sharia law in some northern states as a factor driving the violence. He also criticised Nigerian authorities for what he described as a slow response to the country’s security challenges.

Cruz said the US government has identified some Nigerian officials it believes are complicit and warned they could be held accountable.

He referenced a proposed law, the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which aims to sanction officials linked to such acts.

Responding at the hearing, US official Nick Checker said Nigeria has taken some steps to address insecurity, including changes in security leadership, recruitment of additional troops, and increased prosecutions of suspected terrorists.

Checker added that while the US welcomes these efforts, more needs to be done to improve the situation.

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