Ted Cruz’s Rhetoric Threatens Nigeria’s Unity, Security – Kawu Sumaila
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South Senatorial District, has criticised United States Senator Ted Cruz over his remarks on Nigeria’s security situation, warning that the American lawmaker’s rhetoric could undermine national unity and exacerbate religious tensions.
Kawu, in a statement, accused Cruz of persistently portraying Nigeria’s security challenges through a religious prism, saying such a narrative distorts the country’s realities and risks inflaming divisions rather than advancing lasting solutions.
According to the senator, Nigeria’s security crisis is multifaceted and has claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians, as well as adherents of other faiths, making it inaccurate to describe the violence as a conflict targeted at a single religious group.
“By presenting Nigeria’s multifaceted security crisis, which affects Muslims, Christians and adherents of other faiths alike, as a purely religious conflict, Senator Cruz contributes to a distorted international perception of the country,” Kawu said.
He added that such a narrative “has the potential to inflame tensions, undermine ongoing peace efforts, and encourage external policies that may not reflect Nigeria’s actual circumstances.”
The lawmaker recalled that the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump removed Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), a decision he said reflected verified progress and strategic diplomatic engagement.
He argued that Cruz’s continued push for Nigeria’s reclassification ignored the complexity of the country’s security landscape.
Kawu maintained that attempts to reduce Nigeria’s security challenges to a religious issue overlook the indiscriminate nature of attacks by terrorists, insurgents, kidnappers and bandits, whose victims include worshippers in churches and mosques, schoolchildren, traders and rural communities.
He said members of Nigeria’s security forces, regardless of their religious affiliation, continue to serve together in the fight against criminal groups threatening the nation’s peace and stability.
“Overlooking these shared sacrifices in favour of a divisive political narrative does a disservice to every Nigerian who has suffered from insecurity,” the senator stated.
Kawu urged Christians in Nigeria and across the world to reject narratives capable of promoting religious polarisation, insisting that genuine partners of Nigeria should support peace, reconciliation, interfaith cooperation and sustainable development.
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s sovereignty, warning against what he described as attempts by foreign political actors to exploit the country’s internal challenges for ideological or political purposes.
The senator called on the international community, diplomatic partners, media organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support initiatives that strengthen national unity, enhance security and promote peaceful coexistence rather than narratives that could deepen divisions.