Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, has issued a sharp rebuke to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas over recent pronouncements regarding the alleged targeting and killing of Christians in Nigeria. As some U.S. lawmakers push to impose sanctions on Nigerian political figures, Onanuga warned Senator Cruz against spreading what he described as malicious falsehoods that harm Nigeria’s international reputation.
Senator Cruz recently introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a bill designed to hold Nigerian leaders accountable for religious persecution and violence. In his proposal, Cruz contended that Christians in Nigeria are being “targeted and executed” simply for their faith, forced to live under blasphemy and Sharia laws. The legislation would also reclassify Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” imposing sanctions on officials who enable extremist violence or violate religious liberty protections.
Onanuga, in turn, decried the accusations, claiming they are baseless and dangerous. He cautioned that invoking foreign sanctions against Nigeria over unverified claims could amount to meddling in domestic affairs and could undermine national sovereignty. According to local media, Onanuga denounced such allegations as part of a destructive narrative intended to misrepresent Nigeria’s reality.
The U.S. Pressure and Its Gaps
While Cruz’s bill marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Nigeria, analysts point out that it omits references to Fulani militias, widely reported as key actors in violent attacks on Christian and farming communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and north-central zones. Critics argue this omission weakens the bill’s comprehensiveness, since the Fulani herder–farmer conflicts are among the deadliest sources of communal violence.
The proposed sanctions would focus on those government actors who fail to safeguard Christian communities or deliberately enforce draconian laws. Truth Nigeria+1 Yet the exclusion of Fulani militias may create enforcement gaps and questions about targeted accountability.
The Broader Context: Nigeria’s Religious Violence
Nigeria has endured decades of religiously fueled violence. Since 2009, thousands of Christians have been killed or displaced, numerous churches destroyed, and entire communities disrupted. Extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active, especially in the northeast, while communal and herder–farmer conflicts have surged in other regions.
Senator Cruz’s legislation reflects mounting international concern over Nigeria’s religious freedom record. But whether the bill will pass intact—and whether it can effectively address all sources of violence—remains uncertain.
Onanuga’s forceful response signals that the Nigerian government is likely to resist foreign narratives it deems unfair or extremist in tone. As these diplomatic tensions unfold, both sides may continue to trade sharp rhetoric, with global perceptions of Nigeria’s religious challenges hanging in the balance.
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