Cruz, a former US presidential candidate and longtime advocate for religious freedom, mentioned that he has been working on legislation to reclassify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a label for nations accused of severe religious freedom violations. In his post, he stated, “I’ve been pushing legislation to designate Nigeria a CPC and to impose sanctions on the Nigerian officials responsible.”
He praised former US President Donald Trump for his leadership in initially imposing the CPC designation and for efforts to address the killings of Christians in Nigeria. Cruz also announced plans to reveal the identities of Nigerian officials allegedly involved in the persecution of Christians, stating, “Now we should take the next step and hold Nigerian officials accountable. I intend to be very explicit about who they are in the coming days and weeks.”
The senator’s remarks come amid criticism of the current US administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list, a designation that had been reinstated under Trump in 2020. Human rights groups and Christian advocacy organizations in the US have repeatedly called for Nigeria’s CPC status to be restored, citing increased attacks on Christian communities and what they describe as the Nigerian government’s inadequate response.