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A new bill introduced in the United States Congress proposes visa bans and asset freezes against former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, and other groups accused of violating religious freedom in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, was introduced on Tuesday by Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia and co-sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey.
The bill names Kwankwaso, Fulani nomadic militias, and associations, including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, as entities that could be subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The bill also calls for humanitarian assistance to Nigeria’s Middle Belt, to be delivered through trusted faith-based and non-governmental organisations, with funding support from the Nigerian government.
The bill partly read, “The United States should deliver humanitarian assistance, co-funded by the Government of Nigeria, through trusted faith-based and nongovernmental organisations in Nigeria’s middle belt states; 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 religious freedom violations, 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.”
It further directs the US Secretary of State to assess whether certain Fulani militias meet the legal criteria to be designated as foreign terrorist organisations under American law.
Announcing the bill on social media platform X(formerly Twitter), Moore said he was proud to sponsor the legislation alongside Smith.
He stated that the United States, as a Christian nation, must support persecuted Christians globally.
He added that the proposal builds on earlier actions taken by President Donald Trump, including Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” and the recently signed US-Nigeria security framework agreement.
Moore explained that the bill reinforces Washington’s commitment to protecting vulnerable religious communities in Nigeria.
Religious freedom tensions in Nigeria have intensified in recent years, particularly in the Middle Belt and parts of the north, where armed groups have carried out repeated attacks.
In December 2025, US forces conducted coordinated airstrikes with Nigerian authorities against Islamic State-linked militants in the northwest, as part of an expanded counterterrorism cooperation.
