The Nigerian government has strongly rejected claims by United States Senator, Ted Cruz alleging that officials in Nigeria are “ignoring and facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
Senator Cruz, in a post on his official X handle, said:
“Officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists. It’s time to hold those responsible accountable. My Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.”
READ ALSO:
In a swift response, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, dismissed the allegations as “malicious” and “contrived lies.”
“Senator, stop these malicious, contrived lies against my country. We do not have a religious war in my country. The degraded Boko Haram terrorists operating on the fringes of Nigeria’s North East target everyone.
“They attack farmers, our soldiers. The bandits in the North West kill worshippers in their mosques. Christians are not targeted. We have religious harmony in our country. Stop these malicious lies,” Onanuga replied.
Onanuga emphasized that Nigeria is not experiencing religious war, stressing that terrorist and bandit groups indiscriminately attack civilians, irrespective of their religious affiliation.
He added that both Muslims and Christians have been victims of insurgency and banditry, particularly in the northern parts of the country.
Senator Cruz’s remarks come as part of his push for the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act”, a legislative proposal aimed at sanctioning Nigerian officials allegedly involved in religious persecution.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly condemned what it calls misrepresentation of the country’s security challenges by foreign actors, especially Western politicians and media outlets.
The government however maintained that the conflicts in parts of Nigeria are rooted in criminality, terrorism, and socio-economic issues, not religious persecution.
