A United States senator, Ted Cruz, has accused Nigerian government officials of involvement in attacks against Christians in the country.

Cruz made the allegation during a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing focused on the United States counterterrorism strategy in Africa on Tuesday.

Efforts to get the federal government’s reaction yesterday proved abortive but former information Minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari,  Lai Mohammed, said in United Kingdom yesterday that more Muslims than Christians were being killed by Boko Haram.

However, speaking at the hearing, the lawmaker claimed that Nigeria records the highest number of Christians killed because of their faith anywhere in the world.

He said since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians had been killed, while over 20,000 churches, schools and other religious buildings had been destroyed.

“Nigerian officials had been, unfortunately, complicit in facilitating these atrocities,” Cruz said.

He linked part of the violence to the operation of Sharia law in some northern states, and also criticised Nigerian authorities, saying their response to insecurity in the country had been slow.

Cruz recalled a previous meeting with Nigerian defence and security officials, where assurances were given that the violence would be addressed.

However, he said those promises have not yet produced results.

“I told them I would judge their commitment by the results. Those results have yet to materialise,” he said.