Officials linked to Tinubu ‘attacked’ me over ‘Christian persecution’ claim — US senator

Ted Cruz, a United States senator, has said officials linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu criticised him for accusing Nigeria of ignoring the killing of Christians.

Cruz made this known on Tuesday during a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on the United States’ approach to counterterrorism in Africa.

The lawmaker said some Nigerian officials, including members of the National Assembly and individuals connected to the presidency, pushed back against his position after he raised concerns that authorities were overlooking or enabling attacks on Christians by Islamic jihadists.

He noted that the reactions came after his previous remarks on what he described as widespread violence targeting Christians in Nigeria.

Cruz maintained that the attacks have persisted despite engagements with Nigerian defence and security officials, who had earlier assured him of their commitment to ending the violence.

He said there has been no significant progress since those assurances were made.

The senator also reiterated his position that Nigerian authorities have failed to take sufficient action against extremist violence, adding that this has contributed to the continued killings and destruction of religious institutions.

He referenced his proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which seeks to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern list and impose sanctions on officials found to be involved in enforcing policies linked to religious persecution.

Cruz further pointed to steps taken by the United States under Donald Trump, including actions targeting extremist groups, while noting that Nigerian authorities had previously welcomed such interventions.

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He, however, questioned the consistency of the government’s position, insisting that the scale of violence against Christians remains a serious concern requiring stronger action.

He said, “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.”