Documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Justice show that pro-Biafra groups are coordinating a lobbying network behind the “Christian genocide in Nigeria” campaign that influenced President Donald Trump’s CPC designation.
According to a report from THE GUARDIAN, documents obtained from the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) have linked a coalition of pro-Biafra organisations to the ongoing campaign alleging a “Christian genocide in Nigeria,” which contributed to President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The development follows recent remarks by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who accused the Nigerian government of enabling a “massacre” against Christians, insisting in a video posted on X that “There is no country on earth where Christians are more persecuted than Nigeria.”
Citing Boko Haram and radical Islamic extremists, Cruz claimed they have killed over 50,000 Christians since 2009 and destroyed more than 20,000 churches and schools.
The DoJ documents, filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), identify a group known as the United States of Biafra—comprising the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) and the Biafra De Facto Government in the Homeland—as the driving force behind the advocacy push.
The filings show that BRGIE’s lobby firm, Moran Global Strategies, led by former U.S. Congressman Jim Moran, has developed ties with Cruz’s office.
A disclosure reviewed by The Guardian indicates both entities signed a joint declaration in Finland on December 2, 2024, alleging Nigeria is engaged in a “genocidal onslaught” against Biafrans and Christians.
Key signatories include Simon Ekpa, now jailed in Finland for terrorism-related offences, Dr Ngozi Orabueze, and Diane Emeh. The filings outline organised advocacy targeted at conservative American audiences and argue that backing Biafra would counter China’s influence in Africa.
Security analysts warn that framing separatist claims around genocide could inflame ethnic tensions and distort global perceptions, while former Foreign Affairs Minister Bolaji Akinyemi cautioned that such allegations risk damaging Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with the United States.