Dalung Fires Back At U.S. Senator Ted Cruz : Says “There’s Genocide Against the Poor, Not Just Christians In Nigeria”

By, Solomon Dalung.

(Igbarman Otarok).

In what appears to be a bold rebuttal to foreign misrepresentation, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung, has strongly condemned the recent statement credited to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who alleged that Nigerian officials are complicit in a “genocide against Christians.”

Dalung, in a piece titled “Juma’at Dialogue,” described Cruz’s claim as reckless, misleading, and a dangerous distortion of Nigeria’s multi-layered security challenges. According to him, such a sweeping conclusion from an American lawmaker betrays a shallow understanding of Nigeria’s complex realities.

Dalung noted that Nigeria’s insecurity , whether banditry in the North-West, insurgency in the North-East, or communal clashes in the Middle Belt , is not a religious war but a national tragedy fueled by bad governance, poverty, and weak institutions.

“If there’s any genocide in Nigeria today,” Dalung stressed, “it’s a genocide against the poor, not against Christians.”

He explained that Christians, Muslims, and adherents of traditional faiths have all suffered and died under the same violent conditions, making it unjust and divisive to single out any religious group as the sole target.

Dalung further dismantled the genocide claim by pointing to the composition of Nigeria’s security leadership. He highlighted that the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, and Inspector General of Police are all Christians, while only the Chief of Air Staff is a Muslim.

“These are the key figures managing Nigeria’s national security and counterterrorism efforts,” he said. “To accuse this leadership of orchestrating a genocide against Christians is both illogical and disrespectful to our collective intelligence.”

Tracing the historical roots of Nigeria’s conflicts, Dalung recalled how the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East has claimed more Muslim lives than Christian ones, while banditry and kidnappings in the North-West have targeted both farmers and herders without religious distinction.

He also explained that recurring clashes in the Middle Belt stem largely from resource competition and land ownership disputes, not from faith-based hatred.

“Reducing these national crises to a Christian persecution narrative,” Dalung maintained, “is to trivialize the pain of all victims and misrepresent the truth.”

Dalung urged the international community, especially U.S. politicians, to exercise caution and seek a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s realities. 

What the country needs, he said, is not foreign propaganda or sensational labeling, but genuine global partnership in intelligence sharing, arms control, and the fight against terrorism.

“Foreign politicians must stop stoking religious tensions in Nigeria,” he warned. “Peace cannot be achieved through propaganda; it requires cooperation, sincerity, and respect for sovereignty.”

In his concluding remarks, Dalung challenged Senator Cruz to either provide credible evidence of state-backed religious persecution or retract his baseless claim.

“If you have facts, name and shame the perpetrators,” he declared. “Otherwise, respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and stop promoting narratives that deepen division.”

 “Nigeria’s conflict is not between Christians and Muslims. It is between the powerful and the powerless, between privilege and poverty. The poor are the true victims of this silent genocide.”