Ted Cruz Unveils Effort to Stop Anti-Christian Persecution in African Country
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz unveiled a bill meant to apply sanctions to Nigerian government officials who are allowing the continued persecution of Christians.
The new legislation, introduced last month in the Senate, would move to sanction “the property of persons involved in serious human rights abuse or corruption.”
Under the bill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio would have 90 days to identify Nigerians who have “promoted, enacted, or maintained Nigerian blasphemy laws,” as well as “tolerated violence by non-state actors invoking religious justifications to commit acts of violence.”
The bill would also target “judges, magistrates, prison officials, or other judicial or law enforcement authorities” who have enforced blasphemy laws.
The State Department would also identify Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and the Islamic militant groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa as “Entities of Particular Concern.”
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.…
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 3, 2025
Cruz said on social media earlier this month that “officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
“It’s time to hold those responsible accountable,” he added. “My Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.”
Islamic militants have indeed targeted Christian populations in Nigeria, drawing the attention of Trump administration officials.
Cruz said in an interview with Fox News that “Nigeria’s federal government and a dozen state governments enforce blasphemy laws in their criminal and sharia codes, and they ignore or facilitate mob violence targeting Christians.”
After a senior Nigerian official denied similar claims, Cruz said that the murders “are the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times.”
Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.
It is the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times—and it says a great deal about who is… pic.twitter.com/QXuuaaqOfE
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 7, 2025
“The United States knows who those people are, and I intend to hold them accountable,” Cruz added.
“Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been destroyed,” he told Fox News.
“These atrocities are directly linked to the policies of Nigerian federal and state officials,” Cruz remarked. “They are the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times — and it says a great deal about who is lashing out now that a light is being shone on these issues.”
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