United States Senator Ted Cruz has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of spending resources on lobbying efforts in Washington instead of addressing concerns over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Republican lawmaker claimed Nigerian government officials were engaging American lobbyists and public relations firms rather than responding to concerns raised by US lawmakers and advocacy groups.
Cruz alleged that the Nigerian government had chosen to counter criticism through public relations campaigns instead of addressing the issues highlighted by American officials.
The senator recently introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, 2025, a proposed bill seeking sanctions against Nigerian government officials found to be facilitating the killing of Christians or enforcing laws that violate religious freedom, including certain blasphemy-related provisions.
According to Cruz, Nigerian authorities have created conditions that encourage violence against Christians and other religious minorities by allowing the enforcement of blasphemy and Sharia-related laws while failing to effectively tackle attacks by jihadist groups.
“The US government knows the Nigerian officials responsible for these policies. I have been pushing my bill to sanction them, and President Trump has even ordered military action,” Cruz said.
He further claimed that the Nigerian government believes it can continue its current approach despite growing international criticism, while praising President Donald Trump’s response to allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied that insecurity in the country is driven by religious persecution. It maintains that the nation’s security challenges are largely linked to terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities, with security agencies continuing efforts to restore peace across the country.
