A new bill before the U.S. Congress has proposed targeted sanctions against individuals and groups accused of severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
Introduced by Rep. Smith Christopher, the legislation recommends visa bans and asset freezes on members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, citing their alleged role in attacks on Christian communities.
Christopher praised former U.S. President Donald Trump for re-designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), saying the move held the Nigerian government accountable for “complicity in religious persecution by radical Islamists such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists.”
The bill also places Fulani ethnic militias in Benue and Plateau States on the U.S. Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) list and calls for direct humanitarian aid to faith-based groups assisting displaced persons in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
It further seeks to tie U.S. foreign aid to Nigeria’s efforts in protecting religious freedom and prosecuting perpetrators of sectarian violence.
On the same day, Senator Ted Cruz introduced a related bill — the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 — aimed at defending Christians and other persecuted minorities.
