Senator Ted Cruz has come out strongly and accused Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu government officials of being complicit in the mass killing of Christians.
He says the government is ignoring or even helping the attacks that have taken more Christian lives in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.
Since 2009 Islamic jihadists have murdered more than fifty thousand Christians. They have burned or destroyed more than twenty thousand churches, schools and other religious buildings. Recent attacks during Holy Week included the kidnapping of many Christians and other people.
Twelve Nigerian states enforce strict sharia and blasphemy laws that target Christians. At the national level the government often looks the other way when extremists carry out violence. This has created an environment where the killings keep happening.
Senator Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act last year. The bill would put Nigeria back on the United States list of countries with serious religious freedom problems. It would also slap sanctions on specific officials who enforce those harsh laws or fail to stop the violence. American officials already know the names of those responsible at state and federal levels.
Nigerian leaders have pushed back hard. Some officials including the deputy speaker of the house and the chairman of the foreign affairs committee attacked Senator Cruz for his words. They deny any government role and reject claims of genocide or systematic targeting of Christians.
Last year Senator Cruz met with top Nigerian defense and security officials. They promised action but he said he would judge them by real results on the ground. Those results have not shown up yet.
President Trump took strong steps by adding Nigeria to the Countries of Particular Concern list. In December he ordered the military to target ISIS terrorists responsible for massacres of Christians. Nigerian officials said at the time they welcomed and even asked for such help. Senator Cruz called their statements hypocritical.
President Trump described the attacks on Christians in Nigeria as happening at levels not seen for many years or even centuries.
The violence continues and Senator Cruz is pressing for real accountability. He wants the United States to use every tool including sanctions to stop the slaughter.
