Five United States lawmakers have introduced a bill in Congress seeking sanctions against former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore over alleged violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled the “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” was sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga.
Details of the bill, published on the US Congress website, allege that Kwankwaso is among individuals contributing to what it describes as the systemic persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
If passed into law, the bill would require the US Departments of State and Treasury to impose targeted sanctions including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on individuals or entities found responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria. Alternatively, the departments would be required to report to Congress explaining why such sanctions were not imposed.
A section of the bill calls for sanctions on “Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.”
The proposed legislation also directs the US Secretary of State to determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria meet the criteria for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
As of the time of filing this report, Kwankwaso and the named groups had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the bill.
The move comes months after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over what he described as the persecution of Christians in the country, a decision the sponsors of the bill said was warranted.
However, Nigerian authorities have consistently denied allegations of religious persecution, maintaining that the government respects freedom of religion and is addressing security challenges affecting communities across the country.
Last year, President Trump threatened possible military action if Nigeria failed to curb attacks attributed to terrorist groups. On Christmas Day, the United States carried out airstrikes in Nigeria targeting terrorist elements. Both governments later described the operation as a joint effort.
Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington last week, Trump said the strikes were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
“On Christmas Day, in close coordination with the government of Nigeria, we worked with them, but they’ve got to get tougher,” he said.
“I ordered powerful air strikes to decimate the ISIS terrorists who have been slaughtering Christians in that country. We hit them very hard,” he added.
Following the developments, Nigeria intensified diplomatic engagement with US officials, dispatching a high-level delegation to Washington. Some US lawmakers also visited Nigeria to conduct a first-hand assessment of the situation.
