Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has called on United States Senator Ted Cruz, former U.S. Mayor Mike Arnold, and other American officials to reveal the names of those allegedly sponsoring terrorism or genocide in Nigeria instead of making vague accusations. His remarks came in response to claims by Ted Cruz that Nigeria’s security crisis amounts to a “Christian genocide.”
Omokri made the statement during a media roundtable in Abuja, criticizing Senator Cruz for allegedly relying on selective and unverified reports to back his call to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” on religious freedom. The activist said that while Nigeria faces real security challenges, claims of an organized Christian genocide are unfounded. He insisted that if anyone truly knows those behind terrorism, they should “name and shame them with evidence.”
He also blamed the Obama administration’s policies for worsening Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, arguing that foreign leaders often misunderstand the complex local dynamics of insecurity. Omokri emphasized that terrorism in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims, and accused some foreign commentators of pushing divisive narratives for political reasons.
Citing the Global Terrorism Index, Omokri highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s security situation, noting that the country had dropped from the third to the eighth most terrorized nation, with deaths reducing from over 7,500 in 2015 to 565 in 2024. He said this progress reflects the government’s ongoing effort to expand the capacity of the Army and Police despite persistent challenges.
Backing Omokri’s position, Prof. Khalid Aliyu, Secretary-General of the Jama’at Nasril Islam (JNI), dismissed Cruz’s comments as baseless and dangerous. He described them as attempts to sow division and inflame religious tension. According to him, “it is wrong and misleading to label acts of criminality as religious persecution,” stressing that such claims may be part of a sinister agenda to destabilize Nigeria’s unity and peace.
