Violence Against Christians: “Nigerian officials have been complicit in facilitating these atrocities” — Ted Cruz tells US Senate

A United States senator, Ted Cruz, has accused Nigerian government officials of enabling violence against Christians, during remarks delivered on the floor of the US Senate on Tuesday.

Cruz said the situation in Nigeria has continued despite government assurances that insecurity is being addressed, claiming that attacks on Christian communities have increased.

He stated that some parts of the country still operate under Sharia-based legal systems, while alleging that federal authorities have failed to respond decisively to ongoing violence. According to him, this has allowed armed groups to continue attacks on civilians.

Cruz further alleged that more Christians are killed in Nigeria for their faith than in any other country, and claimed that since 2009, “Islamic jihadists” have killed over 50,000 Christians. He also said more than 20,000 churches, schools, and religious institutions have been destroyed, and that many Christians have been abducted.

He added that Nigerian officials have been “complicit” in the situation, accusing them of ignoring incidents of violence, which he said has contributed to continued attacks by extremist groups.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims that it supports or enables religiously targeted violence, maintaining that security operations are ongoing against armed groups across affected regions.