Political commentator and author, Reno Omokri, has rejected claims by United States Senator Ted Cruz that the Nigerian government is supporting terrorism and facilitating a “Christian genocide.”
Speaking on ARISE News on Monday, Omokri described the allegation as “ludicrous and based on misinformation,” adding that the claims by Cruz and other American politicians were rooted in false narratives about Nigeria’s security crisis.
He explained that he had invited a two-man fact-finding delegation from the United States to Nigeria to help correct the misconceptions being circulated in Washington.
“When Senator Ted Cruz began this tale about a Christian genocide, and Governor Greg Abbott followed along with Congressman Chip Roy, I felt it was my patriotic duty to reach out to Republican officials who genuinely want to know the truth,” Omokri said.
He revealed that the delegation — comprising Mike Arnold, Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, and filmmaker Jeff Gibbs — had already met with leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), as well as visited internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the country.
“Before coming, they briefed Senator Cruz and Congressman Roy. They’ve now seen things for themselves and spoken with both Christian and Muslim leaders,” Omokri said.
He stressed that while attacks against Christians have occurred in Nigeria, they are not evidence of genocide, as both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorist violence.
“Yes, there are killings of Christians in Nigeria, and anyone who denies that would be dishonest. But there are also killings of Muslims,” Omokri noted.
“When terrorists attack Benue, most of the victims are Christians because Benue is Christian-dominated; when they hit Zamfara, most victims are Muslims. So there is no Christian genocide.”
Omokri attributed the root of the country’s insecurity to the aftermath of the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, which destabilised the Sahel region.
“This crisis began when the Obama administration intervened in Libya. After Gaddafi fell, his mercenaries spread across the Sahel with weapons and training. They destabilised the region from Burkina Faso to Mali and Niger. Now they are trying to do the same in Nigeria,” he explained.
The former presidential aide also accused the U.S. of moral complicity, saying, “There is a moral responsibility on the United States because this problem was brought to Nigeria’s doorstep by the Obama administration.”
Omokri said the ongoing U.S. fact-finding mission aims to prevent the misclassification of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” a move he warned could worsen insecurity.
“If Nigeria is designated as a country of particular concern, it will only embolden terrorists and punish ordinary Nigerians — both Christians and Muslims,” he cautioned.
Political commentator and author, Reno Omokri, has rejected claims by United States Senator Ted Cruz that the Nigerian government is supporting terrorism and facilitating a “Christian genocide.”
Speaking on ARISE News on Monday, Omokri described the allegation as “ludicrous and based on misinformation,” adding that the claims by Cruz and other American politicians were rooted in false narratives about Nigeria’s security crisis.
He explained that he had invited a two-man fact-finding delegation from the United States to Nigeria to help correct the misconceptions being circulated in Washington.
“When Senator Ted Cruz began this tale about a Christian genocide, and Governor Greg Abbott followed along with Congressman Chip Roy, I felt it was my patriotic duty to reach out to Republican officials who genuinely want to know the truth,” Omokri said.
He revealed that the delegation — comprising Mike Arnold, Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, and filmmaker Jeff Gibbs — had already met with leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), as well as visited internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the country.
“Before coming, they briefed Senator Cruz and Congressman Roy. They’ve now seen things for themselves and spoken with both Christian and Muslim leaders,” Omokri said.
He stressed that while attacks against Christians have occurred in Nigeria, they are not evidence of genocide, as both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorist violence.
“Yes, there are killings of Christians in Nigeria, and anyone who denies that would be dishonest. But there are also killings of Muslims,” Omokri noted.
“When terrorists attack Benue, most of the victims are Christians because Benue is Christian-dominated; when they hit Zamfara, most victims are Muslims. So there is no Christian genocide.”
Omokri attributed the root of the country’s insecurity to the aftermath of the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, which destabilised the Sahel region.
“This crisis began when the Obama administration intervened in Libya. After Gaddafi fell, his mercenaries spread across the Sahel with weapons and training. They destabilised the region from Burkina Faso to Mali and Niger. Now they are trying to do the same in Nigeria,” he explained.
The former presidential aide also accused the U.S. of moral complicity, saying, “There is a moral responsibility on the United States because this problem was brought to Nigeria’s doorstep by the Obama administration.”
Omokri said the ongoing U.S. fact-finding mission aims to prevent the misclassification of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” a move he warned could worsen insecurity.
“If Nigeria is designated as a country of particular concern, it will only embolden terrorists and punish ordinary Nigerians — both Christians and Muslims,” he cautioned.
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