By Emmanuel Kwada
In a fiery session that underscored deepening tensions between Nigeria and its Western allies, the House of Representatives today unanimously condemned a controversial US congressional bill accusing Nigerian officials of facilitating the mass murder of Christians and systemic religious persecution.
Lawmakers dismissed the legislation as “misinformed and biased,” vowing a robust diplomatic pushback to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty.
This week, I introduced legislation to protect Christians in Nigeria.
My legislation would put real consequences on the government of Nigeria and those who are facilitating these attacks.
We break it down on Verdict: https://t.co/heHGxgsgPI pic.twitter.com/k75p1b8xFE
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 10, 2025
The uproar centers on the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (S.2747), introduced in the US Senate by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last month and referred to the Foreign Relations Committee.
The bill mandates designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing “egregious, ongoing violations” including jihadist violence by groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants, enforcement of blasphemy laws in 12 northern states, and alleged government complicity.
Proponents, including Cruz and Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV), argue it would impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials via Executive Order 13818, freezing assets and barring travel to curb what they call the world’s deadliest anti-Christian campaign—claiming over 7,000 Christians killed and 7,800 abducted in the first seven months of 2025 alone.
Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups
“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups,” Cruz declared in announcing the bill, pointing to data from groups like Open Doors and the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which rank Nigeria seventh globally for Christian persecution and report 62,000 faith-related deaths since 2000.
A companion House resolution, H.Res. 220, echoes these calls, framing attacks in the Middle Belt as religiously motivated “ethnic cleansing” rather than mere farmer-herder clashes.
But Nigerian lawmakers fired back with equal force during an emergency motion titled “Urgent Need for a Coordinated Diplomatic and Domestic Response to the Proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025.” Led by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the House rejected the “Country of Particular Concern” label outright, insisting Nigeria’s security woes stem from terrorism, banditry, and resource disputes—not state-sponsored religious genocide.
There is no state-sponsored persecution of Christians in Nigeria
“There is no state-sponsored persecution of Christians in Nigeria,” Kalu thundered, slamming the bill for ignoring the country’s constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the government’s multi-billion-naira investments in counter-terrorism.
He accused Western narratives of oversimplifying complex ethnic and economic conflicts, echoing a recent Al Jazeera op-ed that decried claims of “Christian genocide” as propaganda risking deeper divisions. “This is an affront to our sovereignty and a distortion of our realities,” Kalu added, noting that extremists like Boko Haram target Muslims and Christians indiscriminately.
The resolution mandates committees on Foreign Affairs, National Security, and Human Rights to collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington within 21 days to craft a “unified rebuttal.”
It also calls for domestic awareness campaigns to counter “negative framing” of Nigeria’s crises. The move drew swift support on social media, with Channels Television breaking the news and sparking debates on X about foreign interference.
As the bill stalls amid a US government shutdown impasse, analysts warn of ripple effects on bilateral ties, including aid and trade. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has long urged Nigeria’s CPC reinstatement—dropped under Biden in 2021 but backed by Trump-era policies—yet Nigerian officials counter that such designations could embolden insurgents by painting the government as the villain.
With violence persisting—over 200 Christians killed in a single June attack in Plateau State—the clash highlights a stark divide: for US conservatives, it’s a moral imperative; for Nigeria’s Reps, it’s meddling in a fight they insist is winnable on home soil. As diplomatic cables heat up, the world watches whether sanctions or solidarity will prevail.
