U.S. Senator Ted Cruz pushes bill against Sharia, blasphemy laws in Nigeria
United States senator Ted Cruz has vowed to advance legislation aimed at tackling the enforcement of Sharia and blasphemy laws in Nigeria, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s redesignation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a statement released on his official website, Mr Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, said the move aligns with his long-standing efforts to protect Christians allegedly facing religious persecution in Nigeria.
“I am deeply gratified to President Trump for making this determination,” the statement read. “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.”
Mr Cruz added that his proposed legislation would introduce additional sanctions and accountability measures against Nigerian officials who “implement or support blasphemy and Sharia laws.”
“Today’s designation is a critical step in holding accountable and changing the behavior of Nigerian officials who have facilitated and created an environment conducive to the outrages in Nigeria,” he said.
The senator’s remarks came shortly after Mr Trump announced, via his Truth Social platform, that Nigeria had been redesignated as a “Country of Particular Concern” — a status reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
Mr Trump claimed that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” alleging that “thousands of Christians are being killed” by “radical Islamists.”
He added that he had instructed some members of Congress, including Representatives Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), to investigate the alleged killings and report their findings.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria,” Mr Trump said. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
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Sharia law is implemented in 12 northern Nigerian states, mostly among Muslim populations.
Rights groups have often criticised the use of blasphemy laws in parts of the region, citing incidents where individuals accused of blasphemy were killed by mobs or sentenced to death by religious courts.
Several killings have been reported over the years under the guise of enforcing blasphemy, including the 2022 murder of a female student, Deborah Samuel, by a mob in Sokoto; the 2024 killing of a butcher in Bauchi accused of desecrating the Quran; and more recently, the lynching of a cleric in Kano over alleged blasphemous comments.
In 2020, when the U.S. first designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari dismissed the claim, insisting that it protects the rights of all citizens regardless of religion.
Officials described the designation as “misinformed” and influenced by “pressure groups with a narrow religious agenda.”