Five members of the United States Congress have moved to impose visa bans and asset freezes on former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and other groups over alleged grave violations of religious freedom, including the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The lawmakers—Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga—introduced the proposed legislation titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026. The bill mandates the U.S. Secretary of State to submit regular reports to Congress assessing Nigeria’s adherence to international religious freedom obligations and measures taken to protect vulnerable communities.
If passed into law, the bill would require U.S. authorities to consider targeted sanctions, humanitarian interventions, and security cooperation initiatives aimed at ending impunity for perpetrators of religious violence and strengthening protections for affected populations.
In justifying the proposed legislation, the lawmakers cited reports estimating that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria between 2009 and 2025, with more than 19,000 churches destroyed. They referenced incidents including attacks in Yelwata, the Christmas Eve massacres of 2023 and 2024, as well as Holy Week and Easter attacks in 2024 and 2025, which they said claimed over 9,500 lives—mostly Christians—and displaced more than half a million people. According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, Nigeria accounts for 72 per cent of Christians killed globally.
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The sponsors also highlighted cases such as those of Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu, who were subjected to mob violence, imprisonment, or death over alleged blasphemy, noting that perpetrators are rarely held accountable.
They commended U.S. President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), insisting he “acted justly” given what they described as the Nigerian government’s longstanding failure to effectively prevent or respond to religiously motivated violence and its tolerance of impunity by extremist actors.
Under the proposed law, the Secretary of State would be required to determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias operating in Nigeria qualify for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organisations. The bill also directs the Departments of State and Treasury to consider imposing sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on individuals or entities responsible for serious violations of religious freedom.
Part of the bill states, “The United States should deliver humanitarian assistance, co-funded by the Government of Nigeria, through trusted civil society organisations, including faith-based organisations, in Nigeria’s middle belt states.”
It further provides that, “The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, or report to Congress the reasons such sanctions have not been imposed, including—
“(A) Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria;
“(B) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor;
‘(C) Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and
“(D) Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.”
Beyond sanctions, the legislation proposes U.S. humanitarian assistance, co-funded by the Nigerian government, to be channelled through trusted civil society and faith-based organisations in the Middle Belt. It also calls for cooperation with international partners such as France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom to advance religious freedom and peace.
The lawmakers warned that the future of U.S.–Nigeria relations would hinge on how the Nigerian government responds to the alleged atrocities, noting that Nigeria has the potential to play a stabilising role in the Sahel and deepen ties with Washington if it takes decisive steps to halt persecution and protect vulnerable communities.
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