Cruz clashes with Nigeria over his claims 50,000 Christians killed since 2009 in religious violence
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Open Doors’ Natalie Blair says independent data from Nigeria shows “Christians can be targeted by radical extremists, and radical extremists can also kill Muslims who do not conform to their radical ideology.” But Blair, a senior member of Open Doors Advocacy team, told Fox News Digital, “Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) have explicitly and repeatedly declared Christians as targets.  And many victims have told us that when Fulani militants attack they don’t just shout ‘Allahu Akbar’, (God is Great), they yell, ‘We will destroy all Christians.’

Blair added: “According to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, data of civilians killed – exempting out the military and terrorist deaths – in northern Nigeria is unequivocal: more Christians are killed by the extremists than Muslims – if you are a Christian you are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than a Muslim. This does not make the suffering of a Muslim less significant, it just makes it less likely.”

Bola Tinubu

A spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently told a Nigerian newspaper that Sen. Ted Cruz should “stop these malicious, contrived lies” over the killings. (Ton Molina/Getty Images)

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s Makurdi Diocese is almost exclusively Christian. But the constant and escalating attacks by Muslim Fulani militants led him to testify at a congressional hearing in March in Washington, saying there is “a long-term Islamic agenda (in Nigeria) to homogenize. The population has been implemented over several presidencies through a strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity of half of the population all over Nigeria. These terrorists are going about on a jihad and conquering territories and renaming them accordingly.” 

Idris was dismissive of the bishop’s congressional testimony: “Let me say that the bishop’s position is an extreme one. It’s not true. The Nigerian government has debunked that in the past.”

Christians killed in Nigeria

Funerals for some 27 Christians who were reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribesmen in the village of Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria on July 25, 2025. (Courtesy: Christian Solidarity International (CSI))

Open Doors’ Blair, with access to Nigerian villagers, responded, “We must listen to the voices of those who have experienced the violence firsthand. People on the ground do not trust that anyone will pay for these violent crimes. This is because they have seen hundreds of suspects arrested over the years and then most of them released, having never been charged or brought to trial.”

Blair concluded, “The right to life, guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, is meaningless unless the state acts decisively to punish those who violate it. The ongoing culture of impunity will only result in more bloodshed and continue to erode public trust in the rule of law.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Shop ABC Secret Savings big deals for your home from bean bag chairs to spa-like towels.

Discover Secret Savings at Shop ABC: Big Deals for Your Home on Items from Bean Bag Chairs to Spa-Quality Towels.

As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a…
Pope’s top diplomat blasts Israel’s Gaza offensive as ‘ongoing massacre,’ condemns Hamas attacks

Pope’s top diplomat blasts Israel’s Gaza offensive as ‘ongoing massacre,’ condemns Hamas attacks

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Vatican’s top diplomat…
Missing New York politician's name to still appear on ballot

Name of Disappeared New York Politician to Remain on Ballot

NEW YORK () — A Long Island politician who went missing earlier this…
Illinois National Guard to patrol Chicago area, as troops depart from Texas, as Trump threatens use of Insurrection Act

Illinois National Guard to Patrol Chicago Following Troop Withdrawal from Texas Amid Trump’s Insurrection Act Threat

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago could see Illinois and Texas National Guard troops…
Blue city erupts as 91-time felon tries to dodge prison, weasel into rehab after crash

Blue city erupts as 91-time felon tries to dodge prison, weasel into rehab after crash

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A career criminal is…
Jacksonville shops thrive as fans gear up for Monday Night Football

Jacksonville Stores Flourish as Fans Prepare for Monday Night Football

Jacksonville businesses saw a surge in customers as fans flooded shops before…
Anti-Semitic protesters plan 'Martyrs of Palestine' rally on October 7

Protest group organizes ‘Martyrs of Palestine’ demonstration for October 7

Insensitive pro-Palestine protests have been scheduled on the two-year anniversary of October…
Oct 7 anniversary: Netanyahu finds unlikely ally amid concerns of government collapse, uncertain hostage deal

Oct 7 anniversary: Netanyahu finds unlikely ally amid concerns of government collapse, uncertain hostage deal

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!  “I said something at…