Senator Cruz minced no words in his Friday statement, declaring that “Officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”

Speaking to Fox News, Cruz laid out devastating statistics that paint a grim picture of religious violence in Africa’s most populous nation.

Idris dismissed Cruz’s statistics as “absurd,” maintaining that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from extremist violence. “It’s despicable and not right to suggest a deliberate attempt to kill a particular religious group,” he said.

Earlier this year, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC), testified before Congress urging Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern.

The FRC’s Center for Religious Liberty has also criticized Nigeria’s continued enforcement of blasphemy laws in 12 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, arguing that these laws undermine constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

As the debate continues between Washington and Abuja, human rights advocates warn that the international community cannot afford to ignore what they describe as one of the world’s deadliest ongoing campaigns of religious persecution.

The proposed legislation represents a significant escalation in U.S. diplomatic pressure on Nigeria, a key African ally. If passed, it would mark one of the strongest congressional responses to religious persecution in recent years.