Five United States Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives seeking targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes, on individuals and groups accused of religious persecution in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled the “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” targets former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria.
According to the bill, if passed, the US Departments of State and Treasury would impose measures against entities or individuals “responsible for severe religious freedom violations” and submit a comprehensive report on US efforts to address mass atrocities and religious persecution in Nigeria.
The lawmakers sponsoring the bill are Chris Smith, Riley Moore (bill author), Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga. In the text of the legislation, they praised former US President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern (CPC)”, a move enabling the executive branch to take diplomatic and economic action against perpetrators of human rights abuses.
“The United States should deliver humanitarian assistance, co-funded by the Government of Nigeria, through trusted civil society organizations, including faith-based organizations, in Nigeria’s middle belt states,” the bill reads.
Under the provisions of the proposed legislation, the Secretary of State would also determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias qualify as foreign terrorist organizations, while the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act would serve as a legal basis for targeted sanctions.
“The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations,” the bill adds.
Riley Moore, the bill’s author, has been an outspoken critic of alleged systemic Christian persecution in Nigeria and visited the country in November 2025 to assess the situation firsthand. The legislation comes after Trump’s CPC designation in November 2025 and coordinated US-Nigerian strikes on suspected militants in December 2025.
The proposed bill is now under review in the US House, and if passed, it could significantly impact political and ethnic groups cited in the legislation.