US Senator Ted Cruz has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of using public relations lobbying to mask the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Cruz said he was disappointed that Nigeria hired a lobbying firm to communicate its record on protecting Christians to the US government, calling it an attempt to deflect American concern over the country’s security crisis.
Nigeria hired DCI Group, a US-based public affairs and lobbying firm, in a $9 million contract last December, months after President Donald Trump designated the country a “country of particular concern.”
According to a contract document filed with the US Department of Justice, Kaduna-based law firm Aster Legal engaged DCI Group on behalf of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Cruz Reacts to House Vote Cutting US Assistance
Cruz, who proposed the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 in October to hold Nigerian officials accountable for what he called facilitating mass murder against Christians, repeated his position in an X post on Wednesday.
“Nigerian officials have created an environment that facilitates mass violence against Christians and religious minorities by imposing blasphemy and Sharia laws and looking the other way at jihadist atrocities,” he wrote.
“Instead of responding to American concerns, Nigerian officials waged a public relations campaign against critics… I am heartened that the House has just definitively proven them wrong,” Cruz added.
He was reacting to an amendment the US House of Representatives passed by voice vote last Wednesday, which would raise the withholding of US assistance to Nigeria from 50% to 100% until the country takes effective steps against internal violence.
Cruz is not alone in criticising Nigeria’s lobbying push. That same month, Matthew Tonlagha, vice-chairman of Tantita Security Services, hired Washington-based firm Valcour Global Public Strategy to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa subcommittee, said the lobbying deals showed that “a culture of denial by Nigerian officials persists.”
Timi Frank Disputes Authenticity of Reported Trump Letter
Separately, former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Timi Frank has accused the Presidency of misleading Nigerians over a reported letter from Trump, which the government has presented as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration.
Frank, now the United Liberation Movement for West Papua‘s ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, said the letter appeared dubious without a White House seal and Trump’s signature.
“The letter only commended Nigeria for partnering with the US in addressing insecurity… It was not an endorsement of President Tinubu’s leadership, his economic policies or his administration,” Frank said in a statement issued in Abuja.
He argued the letter, reportedly dated July 6, only surfaced publicly weeks later, which he said was inconsistent with how a genuine political endorsement would typically be announced.
Frank compared the letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s White House visit during Trump’s first term, saying direct engagement of that kind carries far more diplomatic weight.
He also questioned the government’s reported multi-million dollar spending on US lobbyists, arguing that genuine international credibility would not require expensive reputation management abroad.
“Ultimately, credibility and integrity cannot be conferred by a letter, a diplomatic exchange or a public relations campaign. They are earned through transparent leadership, accountability, respect for democratic institutions and faithful service to the people,” Frank said.
He added that the publicity around the letter appeared timed to divert attention from ongoing discussions about documents related to Tinubu’s alleged past drug case.
