U.S. Republican Senator Ted Cruz has claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is “very unhappy” with him for proposing that Nigeria be designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution and killings of Christians.
Speaking on his podcast alongside Somali-born American activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Wednesday, Cruz said he introduced legislation urging the U.S. State Department to classify Nigeria under the CPC list due to widespread attacks on Christians and religious minorities.
“I will tell you, the government of Nigeria is very unhappy with me,” Cruz said. “They have decried the fact that I introduced legislation to designate them a Country of Particular Concern, and the government is very unhappy.”
The U.S. lawmaker accused successive Nigerian governments of ignoring mass killings and the destruction of Christian communities by terrorist groups.
“I’ve been very vocal, calling out the mass murder of Christians. About 50,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria since 2009. Over 20,000 churches and schools have been destroyed — burned to the ground. Boko Haram and other Islamic terrorist groups are targeting and persecuting Christians,” he said.
Cruz also alleged that some political leaders in Nigeria have “turned a blind eye” to the violence, while others have “enforced or facilitated blasphemy laws,” thereby enabling the persecution of Christians.
His guest, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, backed his position, describing the situation as dire.
“Nigeria is the most important country in Africa; it has the largest population,” she said. “What is going on in Nigeria? Islamists are killing Christians, burning churches, and raping women while invoking blasphemy laws.”
Although President Tinubu’s administration has dismissed claims of religious genocide, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has echoed Cruz’s concerns, calling on the international community to intervene and ensure protection for Christians and other vulnerable groups.
Senator Cruz has also introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which seeks to impose sanctions on Nigerian government officials accused of facilitating attacks or enforcing blasphemy-related prosecutions.
In a related development, U.S. Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia’s 2nd District, along with Senator Marco Rubio, urged the U.S. Secretary of State to take a firmer stance against Nigeria, citing reports that “corrupt elements within the Nigerian government may be complicit, or even directly involved, in some of these attacks.”
The proposed U.S. legislation, if passed, could see Nigeria placed under stricter diplomatic scrutiny and face possible sanctions over alleged violations of religious freedom.
