“Infuriatingly, You Have Far Too Many Officials Turning a Blind Eye”: Senator Ted Cruz Blasts Nigerian Government Over Christian Mass Killings
Washington – November 18, 2025
United States Senator Ted Cruz has once again issued a scathing condemnation of the Nigerian government, accusing key officials of “acquiescing” and “turning a blind eye” to the systematic mass killing of Christians across the country.
Speaking during a televised interview on Fox News earlier this week, the influential Republican lawmaker described the situation in Nigeria as one of the most horrific but under-reported humanitarian crises in the world.
Cruz, who has been very vocal in advocating for persecuted religious people, said the crisis in Nigeria has reached genocidal proportions and requires an urgent international response.
“For years now, there has been a systematic mass murder of Christians, going back as far as 2009,” he said. “We’ve seen upwards of 20,000 churches and Christian schools burnt to the ground. You have Boko Haram, and you have other radical Islamic terrorists carrying out these mass murders. And infuriatingly, you have far too many government officials who are acquiescing, or turning a blind eye to what is going on.”
According to Cruz, the pattern of violence is not isolated but has followed a consistent trajectory of coordinated killings, forced displacement, abductions, and targeted destruction of Christian communities across northern and central Nigeria.
U.S. Senator Accuses Nigerian Officials of Complicity
Senator Cruz went further by stating that certain Nigerian government officials are directly complicit in the ongoing atrocities.
“The next step is putting in place targeted sanctions on particular government officials, officials who are complicit in what is happening,” he said.
“There are twelve states in Nigeria that have on the books Shariah law and blasphemy law. The federal government has on the books Shariah law and blasphemy law. These laws are used to persecute Christians.”
He argued that such legal frameworks is not only used to facilitate state-enabled persecution but also create a convenient justification for official non-intervention in the face of rising terrorism against Christians.
“These laws are used both to go directly after Christians by the government, but also to justify the government doing nothing, looking the other way while Boko Haram and the terrorists murder and commit horrible atrocities on these Christians.”
Cruz Lauds Trump’s Position, Pushes for Stronger U.S. Action
The Texas senator also praised U.S. President Donald Trump for designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a status reserved for nations involved in severe violations of religious freedom.
Cruz said the designation followed legislation he personally drafted to pressure the U.S. State Department into recognising Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
“I filed legislation to direct the State Department to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern; thankfully, the president just did that,” he stated. “President Trump is showing strong leadership responding to the mass murder of Christians in Nigeria.”
He added that Washington is now prepared to “step in” to ensure accountability where the Nigerian government has failed.
“The United States government is saying, ‘We are not going to allow this Christian mass murder to continue.’”
Background: Over a Decade of Sectarian Violence
Nigeria has witnessed waves of extremist attacks for more than fifteen years, with Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and various Fulani terrorist groups accused of carrying out tens of thousands of killings and displacements.
Several international agencies, including Amnesty International, Intersociety, and global religious freedom monitors have repeatedly warned that the scale of Christian-targeted violence meet the threshold of crimes against humanity.
Human rights groups estimate that more than One Hundred and Twenty-Five thousands Christians have been killed since 2009, according to the report by Fox News while at least ten million people have been displaced across the Northeast and Middle Belt regions. Churches, schools, and entire communities have been razed in several states.
Although Nigerian authorities regularly deny claims of indifference and complicity, critics argue that troubling patterns suggest otherwise.
They point to several cases where security forces have withdrawn from vulnerable communities shortly before terrorist attacks, and to reports of soldiers confiscating dane guns and other basic tools that locals could rely on for self-defence.
Critics also highlight the recent Supreme Court death sentence handed to a man who defended his village after Fulani militants reportedly invaded and massacred residents.
There are concerns as terrorists have been at various times recruited into the military under the so-called “repentant BokoHaram scheme,” and concerns over a reported payment of at least ₦100 billion to Miyetti Allah, an umbrella body of Fulani herdsmen terrorists, by the Nigerian government.
Coupled with political interference and weak systems for holding perpetrators accountable, observers say these actions have only emboldened terrorist networks across the country.
What Cruz’s Remarks Could Mean for Nigeria
Senator Cruz’s comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s deteriorating security landscape and mounting pressure from Western lawmakers for firmer U.S. foreign policy responses.
If implemented, targeted sanctions could affect senior politicians, security officials, and state-level actors accused of failing to protect vulnerable communities.
Diplomatic observers say the latest remarks may further strain U.S.-Nigeria relations, especially as Washington increases its oversight of religious freedom violations worldwide and as Nigerian government continues to deflect from the mass killings.
For now, Nigerian authorities have not issued an official response to Senator Cruz’s statements.
