WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is warning those responsible for tens of thousands of Christian deaths in Nigeria that he will “hold them accountable,” prompting vociferous denials from the Nigerian government.
“Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed,” Cruz posted Tuesday on X. “It is the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times — and it says a great deal about who is lashing out now that a light is being shone on these issues.” He added that the “United States knows who those people are.”
Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.
It is the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times—and it says a great deal about who is… pic.twitter.com/QXuuaaqOfE
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 7, 2025
Newsweek reported that a spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded that Cruz’s post was “careless rhetoric that fuels misunderstanding (…) Nigeria is not witnessing a Christian genocide; it is confronting terrorism that targets everyone.”
“Senator Ted Cruz and Bill Maher (who also called out Nigeria) et al would do well to engage with the facts before amplifying falsehoods that embolden extremists and malign an entire nation,” the spokesperson added. “Nigeria deserves solidarity in its fight against terror — not careless rhetoric that fuels misunderstanding. The truth remains simple: Nigeria is not witnessing a Christian genocide; it is confronting terrorism that targets everyone.”
Newsweek noted that the international Christian advocacy group Open Doors identifies Nigeria as the world’s seventh-most dangerous place for Christians, accounting for 3,100 of 4,476 Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year.
“Religious freedom is constitutionally protected, but the government has also embarked on crackdowns against religious groups that have questioned its authority. State and local governments have been known to endorse de facto official religions in their territory, placing limits on other religious activity,” Freedom House summarized. “A number of violent attacks on Christian worshippers and nonreligious individuals by Islamist militants and other armed groups have been reported in recent years.”
Last year, the U.S. State Department noted that the Nigerian government “sometimes took steps to investigate alleged human rights abuses by officials, but prosecution and punishment for such abuses was rare.”
Cruz has introduced a bill, the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials who facilitate religious violence as well as those who enforce sharia and blasphemy laws.
“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups and are being forced to submit to sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria,” Cruz said. “It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities, and my Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act uses new and existing tools to do exactly that. I urge my colleagues to advance this critical legislation expeditiously.”
