A new resolution introduced in the United States Congress has called for sweeping sanctions on individuals and groups accused of perpetrating or supporting severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
The bill, House Resolution 860, commends former President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC) under U.S. law, citing systematic and ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Africa’s most populous nation.
Introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey and co-sponsored by Rep. Bill Huizenga, the resolution recommends visa bans, asset freezes, and other restrictive measures against those implicated in religiously motivated violence.
Specifically, it names the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as entities responsible for such violations.
The bill also urges that ‘Fulani-Ethnic Militias’ operating in Benue and Plateau States be placed on the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) list under the International Religious Freedom Act – a category reserved for non-state actors engaged in ‘particularly severe’ religious persecution.
In its extensive preamble, the resolution accuses Islamic terror organisations and ethnic militias of committing atrocities, including mass killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of places of worship, largely targeting Christians and moderate Muslims.
It cites reports from Open Doors and the Vatican, which claim that Nigeria accounted for nearly 89 per cent of Christians martyred globally in 2023 and that over 18,000 churches have been destroyed since 2009.
The bill further laments that despite billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance, the Nigerian government has ‘failed to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of religiously motivated violence,’ resulting in what it describes as a ‘culture of impunity.’
It also criticises the implementation of Sharia law in 12 northern states, which it says discriminates against religious minorities and dissenters, and condemns the use of blasphemy laws to silence opposition.
Among its key provisions, the resolution directs the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky framework on individuals and organisations found to be complicit in religious persecution in Nigeria. It further mandates that U.S. humanitarian aid be provided directly to faith-based organisations assisting internally displaced persons, particularly in the Middle Belt region. The bill also calls for conditioning American foreign assistance to Nigeria on the government’s demonstrated commitment to protecting religious freedom, prosecuting offenders, and upholding constitutional rights.
The resolution came on the same day U.S. Senator Ted Cruz announced plans to hold Nigerian officials accountable over alleged persecution of Christians, vowing to ‘be very explicit’ in naming those involved. In October, Cruz had sponsored the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which proposed sanctions on federal and state officials enforcing Nigeria’s blasphemy laws.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected such allegations, insisting that religion is not the primary driver of insecurity in the country.
If adopted, House Resolution 860 would mark one of the strongest congressional rebukes of Nigeria’s human rights record in recent years, further intensifying U.S. scrutiny of religious freedom conditions under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.