Genocide claim: Americans are looking for Mr Good War in Nigeria

Colin Powell, the late former American Secretary of State stood before the United Nations General Assembly waving photographs and maps showing purported sites of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq. In the deep recess of his heart he knew that those photos were fakes and that there were no WMDs anywhere in Iraq as was later proven after the war. But he did what he did anyway because there was an abiding goal of ‘’Regime change’’ being pursued by the Americans in Iraq and so whatever that was needed to bring that by fair or foul means was to be done.

Colin Powell’s actions was in line with America’s pattern of staging actions to conveniently provide Cassus belli for achieving grand American objectives in a particular area of interest. For every global major war or intervention by America there is always a smokescreen of psychological actions based mostly on manufactured lies and propaganda all intended to achieve aims that project America’s interests not necessarily the interests of those on whose behalf they claim to be pursuing. It does not matter whether in the process millions die or whether the country or countries where the intervention occurs are left in rubble and utter ruin as long as the American ogre gets its regular dose of blood.

So, when Americans suddenly start taking undue interest often waxing sanctimonious and sounding like they care about what is happening in a particular country’s internal affairs then it is time to sound the alarm and go into vigilance mode.

Ted Cruz, a junior Senator from the American state of Texas which has an infamous history of rabid racial discrimination against its minority populations of blacks and Latinos and was the site of many wars of aggression against neighbouring Mexico in history and genocide against the native Indians, has been running around like Colin Powell on Iraq, trying to convince the American public that there is ongoing genocide against the Christian population in Nigeria. Senator Cruz is so wired up on this that he is sponsoring a Bill on the floor of the American Senate S. 2747 known as Nigerian Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, seeking to compel the United States government to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act citing Nigeria as ‘’the world’s deadliest persecution of Christians’’.

First of all, I doubt if Senator Cruz can point to Nigeria on the world map unaided. Do not attempt to ask him if he knows the history of Nigeria even superficially. If he has at least a kindergarten knowledge of Nigeria, its history through the years and the people that make up this country he wont be in such a hurry to ridicule himself on the true nature of what is happening in a country he knows zilch about.

Secondly, I doubt if Senator Cruz knows what the word ‘’Genocide’’ is all about. And if he does know then perhaps like Colin Powell he is lying to himself and being what the English will say ‘’ Clever by half’’.

If Senator Cruz really knows Nigeria well, then he will not fail to note that with the exception of the Chief of Air Staff, the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, all other heads of Nigeria’s security establishment are of the Christian faith. Is Senator Cruz implying that these highly professional gentlemen are complicit in the purported genocide against Christians in Nigeria? Or is it that these gentlemen would sit idly by and watch Christians being killed in Nigeria without their intervention? If the Senator is implying that because the Nigerian state is headed by a Muslim, the purported genocide is encouraged by him, will the mentioned officers comply with orders to kill fellow Nigerians which they have all sworn to protect?

I think Senator Cruz’s Bill such as it is does not even establish with conviction that what is going on in Nigeria qualifies to be called genocide. To be able to make a convincing case for genocide in Nigeria and for actions to be taken, Senator Cruz must prove that the Nigerian government through its policies is complicit in the killings of Christians as happened in Rwanda, Sudan etc.

And again, Senator Cruz should also not leave out the submissions of Congressman Scott Perry from Pennsylvania who chaired the House Committee on funding to the USAID. In the said submission, Congressman Perry stated that the committee found that Boko Haram the terrorist group that has been wreaking killings on both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria was receiving funding from USAID. So, it follows that if Nigeria is to be sanctioned on allegations of genocide then the US government through one of its agencies is also complicit in enabling terrorist activities leading to genocide in Nigeria.

Let us be clear on the import of Senator Cruz’s Bill. Genocide is not necessarily what the US says it is. The same US that turned a blind eye to a gilt-edged case of genocide in Gaza by the Israelis cannot turn round to say that the case of killings by terrorist groups in Nigeria which affects both Christians and Muslims amounts to genocide. I have taken the pains to check Senator Cruz’s voting records in the Senate on matters relating to Israeli aggressions and mass killings in Gaza and there is not time that he has voted against Israel. So, if Senator Cruz cannot show compassion on the defenseless children and women of Gaza who are being killed on a daily basis by the brutal war machine of Israel what justification does he have to turn full circle on similar acts in Nigeria?

On the whole this serves as a lesson on Nigerian leaders that while they have been dithering on their constitutional responsibility to protect and secure Nigerians from criminal elements the world is not only watching but is ready to act.

From the tenor of Senator Cruz’s Bill, it is clear that like Colin Powell on Iraq, the Texas Senator who comes from a state where big US Defense contractors are located this is likely a push to set the stage for military intervention in Nigeria by the US government using the alleged genocide on Christians as a Cassus belli. Already there are reports that Blackwater, the US military contractor that gained notoriety in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria has been contracted to ‘’protect’’ Christians in Nigeria from genocide. If by acts of omission and commission Nigerian leaders pave way for American intervention in Nigeria, our can be sure that they will be the first victims.

For sure as we have seen from the pattern of American interventions in such cases, Americans will not be here to protect Christians but their interests in this country against the global geo-political rivals.

Gadu can be reached via [email protected] and 08035355706 (Texts only)