US lawmakers propose sanctions against Kwankwaso over religious persecution claims
United States lawmakers have introduced a bill seeking to address alleged religious persecution and mass killings of Christians in Nigeria, proposing targeted sanctions and a possible terrorist designation for Fulani militias.
The proposed legislation also recommends visa bans and asset freezes against certain Nigerian individuals and groups, including the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The bill, titled “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026” (HR 7457), was introduced by Representative Riley Moore and co-sponsored by Representative Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, alongside other Republican lawmakers. Other co-sponsors include Tom Cole, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga.
The legislation mandates the US Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress detailing efforts to address what it describes as religious persecution in Nigeria. It also requires the Departments of State and Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities allegedly responsible for severe violations of religious freedom or report to Congress why such measures have not been taken.
Among those listed in the bill are Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and leader of the NNPP; the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore; and Fulani-ethnic nomad militias operating in Nigeria.
The bill comes amid renewed international attention following President Donald Trump’s re-designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious freedom issues in November 2025. The designation allows the US executive branch to apply diplomatic and economic measures. Trump had also authorised coordinated strikes with the Nigerian government against suspected militants on Christmas Day 2025.
Moore, the bill’s author, has consistently maintained that Christians face systemic persecution in Nigeria. He visited the country last November over the claims. In a post shared on X, Moore accused Kwankwaso of complicity in the deaths of Christians, referencing the implementation of Sharia law in Kano State during Kwankwaso’s tenure as governor.
Reacting to the proposed visa ban, spokesperson of the Kwankwassiya movement, Mansur Kurugu, said the group received the development with shock. “We received the information just like any other Nigerians with shock. At the moment, we are studying what that means, then at a later time, we shall issue a proper statement regarding that,” he said.
Similarly, the NNPP described the proposed sanctions as shocking and dismissed any suggestion that Kwankwaso was responsible for religious freedom violations. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, described the move as a “contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria.”
Johnson noted that Kwankwaso had previously cautioned against what he termed oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s security challenges when Nigeria was redesignated as a CPC. He added that as governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso maintained cordial relationships with Christian leaders and had a Christian running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, during the 2023 presidential election.
The Presidency and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, could not be reached for comments as of press time.
