- Senator Ted Cruz Urges Sanctions on Nigerian Officials Over Religious Persecution
- Cruz commended President Donald Trump for reinstating Nigeria’s status as a Country of Particular Concern
- He praised Trump’s renewed action as both necessary and moral
United States Senator Ted Cruz has urged the White House to impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian government officials and 12 state governments enforcing Sharia and blasphemy laws, arguing that such policies are being used to persecute Christians, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Cruz commended President Donald Trump for reinstating Nigeria’s status as a Country of Particular Concern, a designation used by the US State Department to identify nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
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The designation, which was removed under former President Joe Biden, was reinstated last week following growing pressure from religious freedom advocates and conservative lawmakers.
Cruz, a long standing critic of the Biden administration’s approach to religious liberty abroad, accused the previous government of turning a blind eye to what he described as the mass killing of Christians in northern Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, Joe Biden came into office and immediately removed Nigeria from the list,” Cruz said. “He lifted pressure, ended sanctions, and looked away while radical terrorists continued slaughtering Christians.”
He praised Trump’s renewed action as both necessary and moral, adding that he personally advocated for the redesignation.
“When President Trump was re elected, I led efforts urging him to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Last Friday, he did and it was absolutely the right thing to do,” Cruz said.
The Texas senator also revealed he has introduced new legislation seeking to impose visa bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions on Nigerian officials and state governments accused of enabling religious persecution.
“Twelve Nigerian states enforce Sharia law and blasphemy laws. These are being used to persecute Christians, and the officials involved are complicit,” Cruz said. “I’ve introduced a bill that would sanction those responsible for facilitating or condoning these mass atrocities.”
He called on the White House to deploy the full range of America’s sanctioning tools to pressure Nigerian authorities to halt what he described as systemic persecution.
“These actions are not about punishing Nigeria; they’re about incentivising change and protecting innocent lives,” he said.
The renewed push for sanctions follows President Trump’s recent remarks warning that the United States will not stand by while Christians are being killed in Nigeria.
In a statement released by the White House, Trump reaffirmed that Nigeria had officially been placed back on the CPC list and cautioned that Washington could cut aid or consider military measures if the violence continues.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump said. “Thousands are being killed by radical Islamists. The United States will not tolerate these atrocities.”
Trump also directed congressional leaders, including Rep. Riley Moore and House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, to review US aid to Nigeria and provide immediate recommendations.
“The US is willing and able to defend religious minorities. The killing of Christians will not continue under our watch,” he added.
The Nigerian government, however, has dismissed the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Officials in Abuja insist the violence in parts of the country stems from banditry, ethnic conflict, and criminality rather than religious persecution.
“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and protects all faiths,” a government spokesperson said. “The suggestion that there is a campaign of Christian genocide is both inaccurate and unfair.”
Nigeria was first designated as a Country of Particular Concern in 2020 during Trump’s first term, largely due to rising attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The classification was lifted in 2021 under Biden’s administration amid renewed diplomatic engagement with Nigeria.
Human rights groups and international observers continue to warn of deteriorating security conditions in the country’s north, where thousands have been killed or displaced in attacks by armed groups.
If passed, Cruz’s proposed sanctions could mark one of the most consequential shifts in US Nigeria relations in recent years.
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