Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have condemned a proposed United States bill recommending visa bans and asset freezes against a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and two major Fulani herders’ groups over alleged violations of religious freedoms.
The proposed legislation, titled The Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Congressman Chris Smith, alongside Riley Moore, Brian Mast and Bill Huizenga.
It urges the US government to impose targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on individuals and entities accused of involvement in severe religious freedom violations, including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
The bill also calls on the US secretary of state to determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria qualify as Foreign Terrorist Organisations under American immigration law – a designation that would criminalise material support and intensify international pressure on any actors accused of aiding such groups.
But Nigeria’s political parties and the herders’ associations have pushed back sharply, describing the proposals as unfair, selective and politically motivated.
APC warns US against acting on “allegations”
Speaking on Wednesday, the APC’s director of publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the proposed sanctions risk undermining democratic principles if implemented without due process.
He argued that Kwankwaso, now a senator and the national leader of the NNPP, should not face restrictions based solely on accusations.
“I think they cannot just act on allegations,” Ibrahim said. “America is the beacon of democracy. America is the beacon of freedom, and it ought to be seen to be behaving in that manner.”
He insisted that any accusations against Kwankwaso remained unproven.
“Whatever the allegation … it remains an allegation until it is proven,” he said. “They cannot, on the strength of an allegation alone, go ahead to suggest a ban or restriction on the freedom of movement of an individual without substantiating it, without subjecting him to a fair hearing and trial.”
Ibrahim described the move as an infringement on fundamental rights and said the APC did not support it.
NNPP calls sanctions move “blackmail”
The NNPP, meanwhile, said the inclusion of its leader in the sanctions list amounted to “blackmail” and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
At a press conference in Abuja, the party’s national publicity secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said the proposal was “contrived” and did not reflect Kwankwaso’s record.
“We see this development as a contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria,” Johnson said.
“His record is there in the public domain, either in public office or in private life and it is advisable for people to investigate such things properly, before reaching such conclusions.”
Johnson also recalled that Kwankwaso had previously criticised the decision by US president Donald Trump to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians, warning against what he described as simplistic portrayals of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.
In that earlier reaction, the NNPP leader reportedly urged the US to recognise Nigeria’s sovereignty and the complex security threats posed by armed groups across the country.
US lawmaker challenges Kwankwaso over Sharia law
The controversy has been fuelled by comments from Congressman Riley Moore, who directly accused Kwankwaso of complicity in the persecution of Christians.
In a post on X, Moore wrote: “Governor, do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted Sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.”
Kano state, under Kwankwaso’s leadership, implemented Sharia criminal law, joining other northern states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa and Borno that adopted Islamic legal codes in the early 2000s.
But the NNPP questioned why Kwankwaso was being singled out, arguing that other governors who implemented similar legal frameworks had not been listed for sanctions.
“Is Rep Moore being fair or selective?” the party asked, pointing out that the US maintains strategic relationships with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where Sharia forms the basis of law.
The party also raised suspicions about timing, suggesting the move came shortly after Nigeria’s government allegedly engaged a US-based consultant, and argued that the US appeared to be targeting an opposition figure who had repeatedly criticised insecurity under the current administration.
Party cites Kwankwaso’s Christian alliances
The NNPP defended Kwankwaso’s record as governor, claiming he was instrumental in suppressing Boko Haram in Kano and maintained strong ties with Christian leaders.
It also noted that he had supported former president Olusegun Obasanjo – a Christian – in earlier elections, a stance the party said cost him political support among conservative Muslim voters.
The NNPP further highlighted that Kwankwaso’s 2023 presidential campaign featured a Christian running mate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, as evidence of his inclusive politics.
“These are the facts,” Johnson said, urging US lawmakers to conduct a “thorough investigation” and clear Kwankwaso of what he called “undue embarrassment”.
US bill issues stark assessment of Nigeria’s violence
The proposed legislation represents one of the strongest statements yet by US lawmakers on Nigeria’s security crisis and religious violence, declaring that the country accounts for 82% of Christians allegedly martyred worldwide.
Citing sources including the Open Doors 2024 World Watch List, the lawmakers claimed that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians were killed between 2009 and 2025, and that more than 19,000 churches and Christian-owned facilities were attacked or destroyed.
The bill describes “systemic religious persecution” in Nigeria as a persistent problem since at least 2009, naming Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani-ethnic militant groups as major perpetrators.
It outlines mass killings, kidnappings, sexual violence, village destruction and forced displacement across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, North-East and North-West.
According to the legislation, between May 2023 and May 2025 Fulani-ethnic militias carried out massacres in communities including Umogidi, Mgban and Yelwata, as well as during Christmas Eve attacks in 2023 and 2024 and assaults around Holy Week and Easter in 2024 and 2025.
The lawmakers claimed those incidents killed more than 9,500 people – mostly Christians – and displaced more than half a million.
“These militias have conducted targeted killings, hostage-taking, hijackings, armed assaults, and massacres of civilians,” the bill states. “Their actions meet the statutory definition of terrorist activity.”
Blasphemy laws and death penalty under scrutiny
Beyond armed violence, the bill also criticises Nigeria’s continued enforcement of blasphemy laws in 12 northern states operating Sharia criminal codes, where alleged blasphemy can attract the death penalty.
The lawmakers said such laws have been used against Christians, minority Muslims and dissenters, referencing high-profile cases including Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu.
The bill also cites the case of Sunday Jackson, a Christian farmer in Adamawa state sentenced to death in 2021 after killing an armed herder in what was widely seen as self-defence. Jackson was pardoned in December 2025, which lawmakers described as a “show of good faith” by Nigeria’s government.
However, the bill argues that such isolated actions have not been matched by sustained prosecutions of insurgents and militia leaders, warning that impunity remains entrenched.
It also notes that more than 250 religious leaders – including Christian clergy and Muslim imams advocating tolerance – have been attacked or killed in the past decade.
The legislation references the killing of Father Sylvester Okechukwu in 2025 and alleges that clerics who testified before the US Congress, including Father Remigius Iyhula and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, faced intimidation after speaking out.
“The message to victims and witnesses has been chilling,” the lawmakers wrote. “Tell your story, and you may pay the price.”
Humanitarian crisis and US aid proposal
The bill estimates that between 3.5 million and 5 million Nigerians are internally displaced, with more than 343,000 refugees in the Lake Chad region.
It calls on the US to co-fund humanitarian assistance with Nigeria’s government, channelled through trusted faith-based and non-governmental organisations in Middle Belt states, focusing on food, shelter, trauma care and the voluntary return of displaced communities.
It also urges the US to work with Nigeria against what it describes as “hostile foreign exploitation,” including allegations that illegal Chinese mining operations pay protection money to militias, worsening insecurity.
If passed, the Act would require the US secretary of state to submit a report within 90 days and annually thereafter, detailing Nigeria’s compliance with the International Religious Freedom Act, the status of sanctions, humanitarian spending, and whether US security assistance risks enabling persecution.
Miyetti Allah rejects “terrorist” label
MACBAN, one of the groups listed in the proposed sanctions, rejected the allegations, insisting it is a lawful association and not a terrorist organisation.
Its national president, Baba Ngelzarma, said the organisation had previously engaged the US embassy and congressional delegations to address similar claims.
“We are not a terrorist group,” Ngelzarma said. “The Nigerian government knows much about the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association. We have never been involved in any form of terrorism.”
He said the group, registered over four decades ago, represents cattle breeders across religious and ethnic lines and does not protect criminals.
“We represent the peaceful herders who are doing their peaceful and legitimate business,” he said. “We don’t represent any criminal in the country.”
Ngelzarma argued that the proposed visa bans and asset freezes were unjustified and urged Nigeria’s federal government to intervene diplomatically with Washington.
Benue chapter calls proposal human rights violation
The Benue state chapter of MACBAN also condemned the proposed bill, describing it as a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Its state secretary, Ibrahim Galma, said the association includes Muslim and Christian members and claimed that herders had also been victims of Boko Haram and banditry.
“We are not terrorists or bandits,” Galma said. “We are also victims of Boko Haram in Nigeria because we have lost members and cattle.”
He accused the US of bias and called on Congress to send a fact-finding delegation to Nigeria before advancing the bill into law.
“The US should respect the fundamental human rights,” he said, warning that punitive action without investigation could breach international standards.
Despite growing pressure from US lawmakers and human rights advocates, Nigeria’s political establishment and herders’ groups appear united in rejecting the proposed sanctions – a standoff that could further strain relations between Abuja and Washington as the debate over insecurity, religious violence and accountability intensifies.
