Washington, D.C. – February 11, 2026 — In response to escalating attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria, two Republican U.S. Representatives have introduced new legislation aimed at increasing accountability, transparency, and U.S. action against what they describe as systematic religious persecution and mass atrocities.
Representatives Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) and Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), who serves as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, formally introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (H.R. 7457) on February 10, 2026. The bill seeks to compel stronger U.S. government responses to ongoing violence targeting Christians, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions.
The proposed law would require the U.S. Secretary of State to deliver an annual comprehensive report to Congress detailing all American diplomatic, security, and assistance efforts aimed at combating religious persecution in Nigeria. The report would include assessments of progress, challenges, and specific actions taken by both the U.S. and Nigerian governments.
Among the most significant provisions, the legislation directs the Secretary of State to evaluate whether Fulani militias—armed groups frequently implicated in attacks on Christian farming communities—should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. government. Such a designation would expand the range of legal tools available to target the groups’ financing, leadership, and operations.
The bill also calls for a review of potential sanctions against Nigerian individuals and entities believed to be responsible for or complicit in violence against Christians. Additionally, it requires an examination of U.S. foreign assistance programs to determine whether any American aid is inadvertently supporting perpetrators, failing to protect vulnerable communities, or otherwise contributing to conditions that enable continued persecution.
Sponsors emphasized that the legislation is not intended to interfere in Nigeria’s internal affairs but to ensure U.S. policy aligns with longstanding commitments to international religious freedom and the prevention of mass atrocities.
The bill has secured early endorsements from several prominent House Republicans. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Florida), House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), Appropriations Subcommittee Vice Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Florida), and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and East Asia Chairman Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan) have all voiced support for the measure.
Representative Chris Smith, a longtime advocate for international religious freedom, described the violence in Nigeria as reaching “genocidal levels” in some areas, pointing to thousands of deaths, widespread displacement, and the destruction of churches, schools, and entire villages over recent years. He argued that stronger U.S. engagement is urgently needed to pressure Nigerian authorities to protect all citizens regardless of faith and to disrupt networks responsible for the attacks.
Representative Riley Moore highlighted the human cost, noting that Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern states have borne the brunt of coordinated assaults often carried out by Fulani herder militias and, in some instances, elements linked to Islamist extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Moore stressed that the legislation aims to close accountability gaps and ensure U.S. resources are not indirectly enabling perpetrators.
Nigeria has consistently ranked among the countries with the highest levels of violence against Christians, according to annual reports from organizations such as Open Doors, which places Nigeria at or near the top of its World Watch List for Christian persecution. In recent years, thousands have been killed in attacks on farming communities, religious gatherings, and schools, with many incidents involving abductions, forced conversions, and destruction of property.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied that the violence is primarily religious in nature, often framing it as a resource-based conflict between herders and farmers exacerbated by climate change, population pressures, and competition over land. Critics, including faith-based advocacy groups and some Nigerian Christian leaders, argue that this characterization downplays clear patterns of religious targeting.
The introduction of H.R. 7457 comes amid heightened congressional attention to religious freedom issues globally. Proponents hope the bill will build bipartisan support, though its prospects in a divided Congress remain uncertain. If passed, the legislation would represent one of the most direct U.S. policy responses to the crisis in Nigeria in recent years.
Supporters of the bill have called on the administration to act swiftly on the proposed reporting requirements and reviews, arguing that annual transparency would help identify gaps in current policy and ensure more effective use of diplomatic and economic leverage.
For now, the bill remains in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where Chairman Mast has indicated it will receive prompt consideration. Observers will be watching closely to see whether the measure gains traction and whether it prompts parallel action in the Senate.
As debates over U.S. foreign policy priorities continue, the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 underscores growing concern in Washington about the protection of religious minorities abroad and the need for targeted, evidence-based responses to mass violence.
