Ted Cruz vs Lai Mohammed: Clash Over Claims of Christian Killings Rocks Nigeria Security Debate

(Ted Cruz. Photo By Houston Public Media)

Ted Cruz, a senator from the United States, has charged Nigerian government officials with being involved in atrocities against Christians in the nation.

Cruz made the accusation on Tuesday at a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee meeting that was centered on the US counterterrorism policy in Africa.

Lai Mohammed, the former communications minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, stated in the United Kingdom yesterday that Boko Haram was killing more Muslims than Christians, but attempts to gain a response from the federal government yesterday were unsuccessful.

Speaking at the session, the legislator asserted that Nigeria had the largest number of Christians slain worldwide due to their faith.

He claimed that since 2009, over 20,000 churches, schools, and other places of worship had been destroyed and over 50,000 Christians had been slain.

Cruz stated, "Unfortunately, Nigerian officials had been complicit in facilitating these atrocities."

In addition to criticizing Nigerian authorities for their delayed response to the nation's insecurity, he connected some of the violence to the application of Sharia law in some northern states.

Cruz recalled that guarantees that the violence would be dealt were offered during a prior meeting with Nigerian security and defense personnel. 

But he claimed that those assurances have not yet yielded outcomes.

He said, "I informed them that I would assess their dedication based on the outcomes. "Those outcomes have not yet materialized."

Additionally, the senator disclosed that he introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 in October. 

He claims that the purpose of the law is to make Nigerian government officials answerable for their alleged role in attacks against Christians.

Cruz questioned Nick Checker, a senior official in the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, at the meeting about whether interactions between Nigeria and the US had resulted in significant advancements, particularly in light of moves taken under US President Donald Trump.

In response, Checker stated that Nigeria has demonstrated some degree of collaboration with the United States and cited modifications to the nation's security framework, including as leadership changes, increased soldier recruitment, and the deployment of forest guards to problematic areas.

He stated, "We've seen some positive movements, including leadership changes in Nigerian security services, recruitment of additional troops, and deployment of forest guards to areas affected by violence."

The prosecution of suspected terrorists has increased, he continued, citing the formation of a bilateral high-level working group following talks between US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker and Nigeria's National Security Advisor Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

Checker said that the United States' recent assistance to Nigerian security forces demonstrated the two nations' ongoing collaboration.

"We've seen positive steps by the Nigerians, but certainly more can be done," Checker stated, adding that the US would keep pushing for more initiatives.

Lai Mohammed: Boko Haram is killing more Muslims than Christians.

In the meantime, militant groups have killed more Muslims than Christians, according to former Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, who has rejected allegations of a targeted genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

Yesterday, Mohammed gave a speech in the UK while answering inquiries from Abbey College, Cambridge students.

The purpose of the workshop was to provide students from various backgrounds with a chance to discuss developments in Nigeria, namely youth involvement in politics and government.

The former minister remarked that reports of a "Christian genocide" in Nigeria were false in response to a question about religious persecution, particularly against Christians.

"The developed world needs to show greater understanding." These days, there are claims of genocide against Christians and religious persecution in Nigeria. It is untrue. He declared, "It's fake news."

Mohammed argued that Nigeria’s security challenges were complex and not driven by a deliberate campaign to eliminate any religious group.

“Nigeria as a country has challenges that will not be resolved by genocide against any religion,” he added.

He said Boko Haram initially emerged as a movement targeting Muslims who embraced Western education, noting that early victims were largely Muslims.

“At the beginning, the victims of Boko Haram were largely Muslims, not Christians. Boko Haram started as a revolt by extreme Muslims against conventional Muslims like me.

“Look at the meaning of Boko Haram — ‘haram’ means forbidden or illicit, ‘boko’ means Western education. So for Boko Haram, I, Lai Mohammed, having gone to school, am an enemy.

“They realised that Muslims killing one another doesn’t gain traction. When Muslims start killing Christians, it causes uproar. That is the honest truth,” he said.

The former minister also dismissed claims that banditry in Nigeria was driven by religion, describing it instead as a criminal enterprise affecting people of the same ethnic and religious backgrounds.

He insisted that records showed Muslims account for the largest number of victims of insurgent attacks in Nigeria.

He said: “The bandits are Muslims, they are Hausa-Fulanis. Their victims are Muslims, they are Hausa-Fulanis. So how can you now talk about religion? It has nothing to do with religion. 

“We have a spirit of religious tolerance in Nigeria and I challenge anyone to say it is not true. People can hide under anything to commit crime but one, it is not a policy. Number two, the average Nigerian is not bothered about your religion or ethnicity.

The main point of contention between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria is money. They won’t disagree over theology. They are more concerned about the economy and ways of life. That is why you have many Christians marrying Muslims and vice versa.

"Therefore, we must vigorously use public communication to challenge this narrative about Christian genocide, which is untrue."