US Senator Ted Cruz has alleged that Nigerian officials are complicit in facilitating what he described as the mass killing of Christians in the country.
Cruz made the claim on Tuesday during a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on the United States’ counterterrorism strategy in Africa.
In his remarks, the lawmaker said Nigeria accounts for the highest number of Christians killed for their faith globally. He claimed that since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed, while over 20,000 churches, schools and religious institutions have been destroyed.
“Nigerian officials had been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” Cruz said.
He attributed part of the violence to the implementation of Sharia law in several northern states and criticised Nigerian authorities for what he described as a slow response to the country’s security challenges.
Cruz also referenced a previous meeting with Nigerian defence and security officials, saying their assurances to end the violence had yet to translate into tangible results.
“I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialise,” he said.
In October, the senator introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which he said is aimed at holding Nigerian government officials accountable for alleged complicity in attacks on Christians.
During the hearing, Cruz queried Nick Checker, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, on whether engagements between both countries had produced meaningful outcomes, particularly following actions taken under US President Donald Trump.
In response, Checker said Nigeria has shown a degree of cooperation with US requests since the designation took effect, citing changes within the country’s security architecture.
“We’ve seen some positive movements, including leadership changes in Nigerian security services, recruitment of additional troops, and deployment of forest guards to areas affected by violence,” he said.
Checker also noted increased prosecution of individuals accused of terrorism and pointed to the establishment of a bilateral high-level working group following talks between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Under-Secretary of State, Allison Hooker.
He added that recent US support for Nigerian security forces reflects ongoing cooperation between both countries.
“We’ve seen positive steps by the Nigerians, but certainly more can be done,” Checker said, noting that the US would continue to press for further action.
