Diplomatic talks with the United States have been initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria following allegations by US. lawmakers that Nigeria is supporting a state-backed genocide of Christians by Muslims stems from a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025,
In response, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tugga rejected the allegations insisting that the killings in the country affect people of all religions, not only Christians. The ministry emphasized that an independent study commissioned earlier in 2025 provided factual data disproving claims of state-sponsored persecution. The House of Representatives also passed a motion rejecting the U.S. Senate narrative and called for a joint Nigeria–U.S. fact-finding mission on religious freedom to ensure transparency and fairness.
Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa clarified that while the violence in Nigeria is real, it is not religiously motivated or government-backed. He added that the positions of individual U.S. lawmakers do not necessarily represent official American foreign policy. The Federal Government remains open to dialogue through established channels like the Nigeria–U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group, aiming to strengthen diplomatic understanding and counter misinformation about the country’s internal security challenges.
