Washington, D.C. – February 11, 2026 — Five Republican members of the United States House of Representatives have introduced legislation that would impose targeted sanctions, asset freezes, and visa bans on former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and certain Fulani militia groups, citing their alleged roles in systematic violations of religious freedom and mass atrocities against Christian communities in Nigeria.
The bill, formally titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (H.R. 7457), was introduced on February 10 by Representatives Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) and Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. Co-sponsors include House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Florida), House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), and Appropriations Vice Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Florida).
The proposed legislation directs the U.S. Secretary of State to produce an annual comprehensive report to Congress detailing U.S. efforts to combat religious persecution in Nigeria. More controversially, it explicitly calls for the examination of options to impose Magnitsky-style targeted sanctions on individuals and entities believed to be responsible for or complicit in violence against Christians, including a specific recommendation to consider sanctions against Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso, a prominent northern Nigerian politician and founder of the Kwankwasiyya movement, is accused in the bill’s supporting statements of having failed to adequately address or having indirectly enabled attacks on Christian farming communities during his time as governor and through his continued political influence in Kano and broader northern Nigeria. The legislation also urges a review of whether Fulani militias—armed groups frequently implicated in deadly raids on villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt—should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. government.
If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of State to assess:
Whether specific Fulani militia factions meet the legal criteria for FTO designation
The feasibility of imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on named individuals and groups linked to the violence
The extent to which U.S. foreign assistance to Nigeria may be inadvertently supporting perpetrators or failing to protect vulnerable religious minorities
Sponsors argue that the measure is necessary to address what they describe as a worsening crisis of religious persecution in Nigeria, particularly against Christians in the north-central and northwestern regions. They point to reports from organizations such as Open Doors, International Christian Concern, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which have consistently ranked Nigeria among the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians.
Representative Chris Smith, a longtime advocate for international religious freedom, stated during the bill’s introduction: “The scale of violence targeting Christians in Nigeria has reached genocidal proportions in some areas. Thousands have been killed, entire villages destroyed, and churches burned—yet accountability remains elusive. This bill seeks to close the accountability gap and ensure U.S. policy reflects our commitment to protecting religious minorities.”
The inclusion of Rabiu Kwankwaso’s name in the proposed sanctions framework marks a significant escalation in U.S. congressional rhetoric toward a major Nigerian political figure. Kwankwaso, who served as Kano governor from 1999–2003 and 2011–2015 and ran as a presidential candidate in 2023, remains an influential voice in northern Nigerian politics. He has not yet issued a public response to the proposed legislation.
Nigerian government officials and many analysts have consistently rejected characterizations of the violence as primarily religious persecution, insisting that most incidents stem from competition over land and resources between herders and farmers, exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and criminal banditry. The Nigerian military and police have conducted operations against both Fulani militia elements and other armed groups, though critics argue enforcement remains inconsistent.
The bill’s prospects in the current Congress remain uncertain, particularly given the need for bipartisan support and passage through both chambers. However, its introduction signals growing frustration among some U.S. lawmakers with what they perceive as insufficient action by Nigerian authorities to protect religious minorities and hold perpetrators accountable.
If passed, the legislation would represent one of the most direct U.S. policy interventions targeting specific Nigerian individuals and groups in connection with the Middle Belt crisis. It would also require the executive branch to provide greater transparency on how U.S. diplomatic, security, and development assistance addresses religious freedom concerns in Nigeria.
The State Department has not yet commented on the bill. However, previous administrations have designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act in 2020 and 2021 before removing the designation in 2022 following diplomatic engagements. The current status remains under annual review.
As the legislative process begins, the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 is likely to generate intense debate in both Washington and Abuja, with implications for bilateral relations, foreign assistance, and U.S. policy toward religious freedom in Africa’s most populous nation.
