United States Senator Ted Cruz has alleged that Nigeria records the highest number of Christians killed because of their faith globally, sparking renewed debate over the country’s security and religious tensions.
Cruz made the claim during a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing focused on US counterterrorism strategy in Africa on Tuesday. He stated that since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed, while over 20,000 churches, schools, and other religious buildings have been destroyed.
He further accused Nigerian officials of being complicit in facilitating some of the attacks and criticised the government’s response to insecurity, describing it as slow and ineffective. The lawmaker also linked part of the violence to the implementation of Sharia law in some northern states.
Recalling previous engagements with Nigerian defence and security officials, Cruz said assurances had been given to address the violence but noted that the promised results had not materialised.
“I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialise,” he said.
Cruz added that proposed legislation in the United States aims to hold Nigerian government officials accountable over alleged involvement in attacks on Christians.
During the session, he questioned a senior official from the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, Nick Checker, on whether diplomatic engagements between both countries had produced meaningful progress, particularly following measures introduced under former President Donald Trump.
In response, Checker acknowledged some improvements, noting changes in Nigeria’s security architecture, including leadership adjustments, increased troop recruitment, and the deployment of forest guards to areas affected by violence.
He also highlighted a rise in the prosecution of suspected terrorists and referenced the establishment of a bilateral high-level working group following discussions between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Under Secretary of State, Allison Hooker.
Checker added that continued US support for Nigerian security forces reflects ongoing cooperation, though he stressed that more action is still required.
“We’ve seen positive steps by the Nigerians, but certainly more can be done,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has dismissed claims of a targeted genocide against Christians, stating that insurgent groups such as Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians.
Speaking in the United Kingdom during an interactive session with students at Abbey College Cambridge, Mohammed described narratives of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria as misleading.
He argued that the country’s security challenges are complex and not driven by a deliberate attempt to eliminate any religious group.
According to him, Boko Haram initially targeted Muslims who embraced Western education, noting that early victims were largely from the Muslim community.
“At the beginning, the victims of Boko Haram were largely Muslims, not Christians,” he said, explaining that the group’s ideology opposes Western education and those who support it.
Mohammed further stated that banditry in Nigeria is not rooted in religion but is largely criminal in nature, often involving perpetrators and victims from the same ethnic and religious backgrounds.
He maintained that Nigeria continues to uphold religious tolerance, adding that economic concerns, rather than religious differences, are the primary source of conflict among citizens.
The former minister called for greater understanding from the international community and urged the use of effective public communication to counter what he described as false narratives about religious persecution in the country.
US Senator Alleges Mass Killings of Christians in Nigeria, Lai Mohammed Counters Claims
