Washington D.C. / Abuja — November 1, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has announced the introduction of legislation aimed at confronting the enforcement of sharia law and blasphemy statutes in Nigeria, following the country’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by President Donald Trump.
In a statement issued through his senate office, Cruz expressed his support for the President’s decision and affirmed that his bill — the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 — would formalise the U.S.’s engagement with Nigeria on religious‐freedom issues. He said: “My legislation implements additional steps, including targeting those who implement blasphemy and sharia laws in Nigeria, and I am committed to working with the administration and my colleagues to advance the bill and implement these necessary measures.
The proposed legislation seeks to hold Nigerian officials accountable for facilitating or enforcing religious laws that lead to violence and discrimination against Christians and other religious minorities. According to both Cruz’s press release and NGO briefings, the bill would authorise targeted sanctions — including travel bans and asset freezes against individuals in Nigeria alleged to be complicit in religious intolerance and enforcement of draconian blasphemy laws.
The backdrop to this initiative is Nigeria’s multifaceted religious landscape and ongoing human-rights concerns. Several northern states operate legal frameworks that incorporate sharia law and impose penalties for blasphemy, a system critics say disproportionately impacts Christians and minority faith groups. Cruz and allied legislators argue that such laws, combined with militant attacks on Christian communities, constitute a “context of impunity” that demands U.S. intervention through diplomatic and legislative tools.
In Nigeria, the government has maintained that violence and persecution stem not solely from religious motives, but also from factors including ethnic competition, land-use conflict and criminality. Nevertheless, the bill’s supporters say the enforcement of religious laws cannot be separated from the broader pattern of attacks on religious minorities.
A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House by Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-Indiana), designed to complement Cruz’s initiative and apply similar accountability mechanisms.
The bill’s progress is expected to generate diplomatic tensions between Washington and Abuja, particularly if tangible sanctions are applied. Nigerian religious-rights groups, expatriate communities and international human-rights organisations welcomed the development, viewing it as overdue recognition of persecution concerns; however, some analysts caution that legislation alone may not address the underlying security and governance challenges that threaten religious freedom in Nigeria.