Nigerian Govt Officials Complicit In Killing Of Christians – US Senator Ted Cruz

US Senator Ted Cruz has accused Nigerian officials of being complicit in the killings of Christians and the destruction of churches in the country.

Cruz made these accusations during a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on US counterterrorism efforts in Africa.

The senator stated that Nigeria has the highest number of Christians killed for their faith worldwide, with over 50,000 Christians killed by Islamic jihadists since 2009.

He also pointed out that more than 20,000 churches, schools, and other religious institutions have been destroyed, many by fire, and that numerous Christians were kidnapped during Holy Week.

The senator alleged that Nigerian authorities have enabled this violence, citing the implementation of blasphemy and sharia laws in about 12 states, and accusing the federal government of failing to take action against extremist attacks.

Ted Cruz emphasized that the government’s inaction has contributed to the ongoing jihadist violence.

He referred to the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, a bill he introduced, which aims to put Nigeria back on the US “Country of Particular Concern” list and impose sanctions on officials involved in enforcing these laws.

Cruz emphasized that the US government is aware of the officials responsible at both the state and federal levels and should hold them accountable.

The senator also criticized Nigerian officials for denying their involvement in the crisis.

He recalled his meeting with high-ranking Nigerian defense and security officials, where they pledged to address the violence, but noted that no real progress has been made since.

Cruz also highlighted the actions taken by former President Donald Trump, noting that the US had adopted a stronger stance, including adding Nigeria to the “Country of Particular Concern” list and targeting ISIS militants after attacks on Christians.

The senator pointed out that the Nigerian government had initially welcomed these actions.

However, Cruz criticized the Nigerian government’s position as contradictory, arguing that the scale of violence against Christians has not decreased.

He called for clearer actions from the US to help curb the killings, asking what the situation looks like now and what can be done to stop the ongoing violence.

Cruz stated, “More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Since 2009, Islamic jihadists have murdered more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria, and more than 20,000 churches, schools, and religious institutions have been destroyed, most burned to the ground. Scores of Christians and several others were kidnapped over Holy Week.

“Nigerian officials have, unfortunately, been complicit in facilitating these atrocities. At the state level, a dozen Nigerian states implement Islamist blasphemy and sharia laws. At the federal level, the government looks the other way at Islamist violence.

“The result is, unsurprisingly, yet more jihadist violence. Last year, I introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which would require placing Nigeria back on the country of particular concern list and impose sanctions on officials involved in enforcing blasphemy and sharia laws. The U.S. government knows who they are at both the local and federal levels, and they should be held accountable.

“I’m sorry to say that Nigerian officials are, at a minimum, in denial of the government’s role. In October, several officials, including the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as a range of anonymous officials linked to the President, directly attacked me for saying that, quote, officials in Nigeria are ignoring or even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamic jihadists. Last year, I met with a delegation of top Nigerian defence and security officials.

“They said they were committed to ending the violence. I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialise.

“President Trump has established that the United States will use all tools of statecraft to counter the violence. He ordered that Nigeria be added to the CPC list, and in December, he ordered the Department of War to target ISIS terrorists in response to their massacre of Christians. I’ll note that the Nigerian government said at the time that it welcomed and, indeed, requested the actions.

“I find their statements to be somewhere between hypocritical and infuriating. In December, the President said that jihadists had been targeting Christians in Nigeria, quote, at levels not seen for many years and even centuries. What does the situation look like now, several months later, and what can and should the United States do to stop the mass murder of Christians?”

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