US Senator Ted Cruz's claim of christian genocide in Nigeria is ludicrous —Reno Omokri

Political commentator and author, Reno Omokri, has strongly rejected claims by United States Senator Ted Cruz that the Nigerian government is supporting terrorism and facilitating a “Christian genocide.”

Senator Ted Cruz alleged that Nigeria is experiencing a "Christian genocide," claiming that Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups.

Specifically, the claims that underpin his position and the bill he introduced, the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025”, aims to hold Nigerian officials accountable as he alleged the leaders in Nigeria facilitate Islamist jihadist violence and the imposition of Sharia and blasphemy laws in large parts of the country.

The overall intent of his claim was to require the U.S. Secretary of State to designate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern (CPC)" and impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials.

Speaking on ARISE News on Monday night, October 13, Omokri described the allegation as “ludicrous and based on misinformation,” asserting that the claims by Cruz and other American politicians are rooted in false narratives about Nigeria’s security crisis.

, Omokri explained that he invited a two-man fact-finding delegation from the United States to Nigeria.

“When Senator Ted Cruz began this tale about a Christian genocide, and Governor Greg Abbott followed along with Congressman Chip Roy, I felt it was my patriotic duty to reach out to Republican officials who genuinely want to know the truth,” Omokri said.

He revealed that the delegation, comprising Mike Arnold, Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, and filmmaker Jeff Gibbs, has met with leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), and also visited internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the country. 

Omokri noted that the delegates briefed Senator Cruz and Congressman Roy before their trip, and have "now seen things for themselves and spoken with both Christian and Muslim leaders.”

Omokri stressed that while attacks against Christians have occurred, they do not constitute genocide, as both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorist violence. “Yes, there are killings of Christians in Nigeria, and anyone who denies that would be dishonest. But there are also killings of Muslims,” he stated.

He elaborated, “When terrorists attack Benue, most of the victims are Christians because Benue is Christian-dominated; when they hit Zamfara, most victims are Muslims. So there is no Christian genocide.”

Omokri attributed the genesis of the country’s insecurity to the aftermath of the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, which he says destabilized the Sahel region. “This crisis began when the Obama administration intervened in Libya. After Gaddafi fell, his mercenaries spread across the Sahel with weapons and training. They destabilised the region from Burkina Faso to Mali and Niger. Now they are trying to do the same in Nigeria,” he explained.

Omokri also accused the U.S. of moral complicity, stating, “There is a moral responsibility on the United States because this problem was brought to Nigeria’s doorstep by the Obama administration.”

Omokri said the ongoing U.S. fact-finding mission is intended to prevent the misclassification of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” a move he warned could worsen insecurity. “If Nigeria is designated as a country of particular concern, it will only embolden terrorists and punish ordinary Nigerians both Christians and Muslims,” he cautioned.