Texas Senator Ted Cruz has commended US President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)”, describing the move as a crucial step toward addressing the persecution of Christians in the West African nation.
Trump made the announcement on Friday via his Truth Social platform, warning that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria, and accusing radical Islamist groups of carrying out widespread attacks and killings targeting Christian communities.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern,’” Trump declared.
The president emphasized that the United States would not remain silent in the face of such atrocities, pledging that Washington would “stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
Reacting to the decision, Senator Ted Cruz released an official statement on his website, applauding Trump’s bold stance. Cruz noted that he has long pushed for stronger US action against religious persecution in Nigeria, and recently introduced legislation aimed at locking in the redesignation.
“I am deeply gratified to President Trump for making this determination. I have fought for years to counter the slaughter and persecution of Christians in Nigeria, and this year introduced legislation that will lock in the designation made today,” Cruz stated.
He described the move as a critical step in holding Nigerian officials accountable for policies that have “enabled and perpetuated” religious violence.
“Today’s designation is a vital step toward changing the behavior of Nigerian officials who have facilitated an environment conducive to these atrocities,” the senator added.
Cruz further revealed that his proposed legislation — the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 — seeks to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for enforcing blasphemy laws and sharia policies in Nigeria that threaten religious minorities.
“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups,” Cruz warned. “It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities.”
In response to Trump and Cruz’s statements, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, rejected claims of a “Christian genocide,” describing them as misleading and based on inaccurate data.
Speaking in an interview with CNN, Idris argued that the allegations oversimplify Nigeria’s complex security challenges, stressing that both Christians and Muslims are victims of terrorism and banditry, particularly in the northern regions.
“Some of the claims made by US officials are based on faulty data and the assumption that victims of violence are largely Christians,” Idris said. “Yes, Christians are being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion. They attack both Christians and Muslims.”
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, cautioning that foreign officials spreading divisive narratives risk fueling religious tension and emboldening extremist groups.
The U.S. State Department designates certain countries as “Countries of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. Nigeria was first placed on the CPC list in 2020 under the Trump administration, but was later removed by the Biden administration in 2021 — a move that drew criticism from religious freedom advocates and lawmakers, including Senator Cruz.
The redesignation by Trump reignites global attention on Nigeria’s religious violence, particularly attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed militias targeting rural Christian communities.
