Allison Hooker

Nigeria

Nigerian officials involved in killing of Christians — US Senator Ted Cruz

United States senator Ted Cruz has alleged that some Nigerian government officials are complicit in attacks against Christians in the country.​ Cruz made the claim during a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on Washington’s counterterrorism strategy in Africa, where he described Nigeria as the country with the highest number of Christians killed because of their faith. He said that since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches, schools and other religious buildings destroyed.​ “Nigerian officials have been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” he told the hearing, linking part of the violence to the operation of Sharia law in some northern states and criticising what he called the slow response of Nigerian authorities to insecurity.​ Cruz recalled earlier meetings with Nigerian defence and security officials, saying they had promised to tackle the violence but […]

Abdulmumini Auwal SA April 23, 2026