The Nigerian Presidency, has criticized United States Senator Ted Cruz for alleging that Nigerian officials are complicit in, or indifferent to, the killing of Christians by Islamist militants.
Senator Cruz, a Republican from Texas, had on Friday accused Nigerian authorities of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians” and announced his proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which seeks sanctions against implicated officials.
Responding to the senator’s remarks on X (formerly Twitter), the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the claims as “false, malicious, and misleading.”
Onanuga maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from terrorism, banditry, and general criminality, not religious persecution. He emphasized that the nation enjoys religious harmony, noting that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and bandits in the North have targeted both Muslims and Christians alike.
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“Senator, stop these malicious, contrived lies against my country,” Onanuga wrote. “We do not have a religious war in Nigeria. Boko Haram terrorists attack everyone, farmers, soldiers, and civilians alike. The bandits in the North-West kill worshippers in their mosques as well. Christians are not being targeted.”
Cruz’s statement followed reports that Boko Haram militants had overrun Kirawa, a border town in Borno State, forcing more than 5,000 residents to flee into Cameroon.
The senator’s proposed legislation, introduced to the U.S. Senate in September 2025, seeks to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act. The bill also calls for targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, against Nigerian officials, judges, or law enforcement officers allegedly complicit in enforcing blasphemy or Sharia-based laws or tolerating religiously motivated violence.
The bill further directs that Boko Haram and ISIS–West Africa remain listed as Entities of Particular Concern and includes a 10-year retrospective window for identifying culpable officials. However, it allows the U.S. Secretary of State to issue a waiver if Nigeria ceases enforcement of blasphemy laws or if extremist groups become inactive.
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