United States Senator Ted Cruz has vowed to publicly identify Nigerian officials he accuses of persecuting Christians following President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)”.
The Texas lawmaker, a close ally of Trump, said his next step is to ensure those responsible for alleged religious persecution in Nigeria face sanctions.
Cruz made the remarks in a post on his official X account on Tuesday, hours after the CPC announcement.
“I’ve been pushing legislation to designate Nigeria a CPC and to impose sanctions on the Nigerian officials responsible,” Cruz said.
“Now we should take the next step and hold them accountable.”
He thanked Trump for “his leadership in imposing the designation” and for “fighting to stop the murder of Christians in Nigeria.”
Cruz, who is championing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, said the new legislation would protect Christians and other religious minorities from attacks.
He hinted that he would name Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in the coming weeks.
The senator’s comments came after President Donald Trump declared Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over what he called “mass slaughter” of Christians.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump alleged that radical Islamists were committing genocide in Nigeria.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed.
Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
He said the U.S. “cannot stand by while such atrocities happen” and directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to launch an investigation.
Trump’s renewed focus on Nigeria’s religious crisis has stirred global attention and renewed debate in Washington about America’s foreign policy in Africa.
However, the Nigerian government has strongly rejected Trump’s claims and Cruz’s accusations.
In a statement earlier this year, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the notion of a Christian genocide was “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war is inaccurate and harmful,” Idris stated.
“Extremists have attacked citizens of all faiths Muslims, Christians, and non-religious Nigerians alike.”
He said between May 2023 and February 2025, Nigerian security forces killed over 13,500 terrorists and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages.
The minister also noted that over 700 Boko Haram suspects had been convicted, while several top Ansaru leaders were captured, reflecting what he described as major progress in the war against terrorism.
“These criminals target anyone who rejects their murderous ideology, regardless of faith,” Idris emphasized.
Nigeria’s government insists that its conflict with extremists stems from economic and territorial issues, not religious persecution.
Still, Washington’s renewed scrutiny, led by figures like Cruz and Trump, could strain U.S.–Nigeria relations.
The CPC designation may pave the way for targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes on Nigerian officials accused of human rights abuses.
Cruz’s remarks have sparked mixed reactions among U.S. lawmakers. Some human rights advocates have praised his stance, while others warn it could inflame tensions and misrepresent Nigeria’s complex security landscape.
Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers, including Gregory Meeks and Sara Jacobs, criticized Trump’s rhetoric as “reckless,” warning that threatening military intervention over religious disputes could destabilize the region further.
“The violence in Nigeria is driven by land and resource conflicts, not religion,” they said in a joint statement earlier this week.
Despite the controversy, Cruz remains unapologetic, insisting that “the world must not stay silent” about what he calls “the murder of Christians in Nigeria.”
His push for accountability marks another escalation in Washington’s debate over Nigeria’s religious freedom record one that may test the diplomatic ties between Abuja and Washington in the coming months.