Ogechukwu Nkere, the Acting Prime Minister of Simon Ekpa’s Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), claimed responsibility for introducing the narrative of ‘Christian genocide in Nigeria’ into the United States Congress.
Nkere, who assumed leadership after Ekpa’s conviction in Finland, stated that the BRGIE was a “behind-the-scenes force” and that the promotion of the narrative was a “highly orchestrated effort”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Nkere disclosed that he engaged with US Senator Ted Cruz on multiple occasions for over a year to discuss the issue and encourage the Senator and other Congressional members to sanction Nigeria. This engagement led to Senator Cruz introducing the legislation S.2747 – Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which seeks sanctions against Nigeria and its officials for the persecution of Christians.
Nkere stated that the BRGIE retains top lobbying firms and international attorneys in Washington D.C., and is using the promotion of the Christian genocide narrative to “normalise the idea… of a separate country for a bulk of Nigeria’s Christians, which we refer to as ‘Biafra’”. He welcomed the “intervention” of the United States and threatened to provide Senator Cruz and the US government with the names of Nigerian officials who should be sanctioned.
The claim comes as Senator Cruz blamed the Nigerian government for the killings, stating that over 50,000 Christians have been killed in religious violence since 2009. However, President Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, and the National Assembly have both dismissed the claim of Christian genocide in Nigeria.
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