•US Congress and armed Fulani herdsman
A new bill introduced in the US Congress has proposed targeted sanctions and other restrictive measures against individuals and groups accused of serious violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
The legislation specifically named the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as entities implicated in such abuses, reports Channels TV.
The bill introduced by Smith Christopher, member of the house of representatives, proposed sanctions on members of the groups including visa restrictions and asset freezes.
He presented the bill on Tuesday while commending US President Donald Trump for re-designating Nigeria a country of particular concern (CPC).
“President Donald J. Trump acted appropriately and decisively to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in religious persecution by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists,” Christopher said.
In the bill, Christopher noted that the US has also placed “Fulani Ethnic Militias” operating in Benue and Plateau States on its Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) list under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs) are non-state actors that have committed especially severe violations of religious freedom under U.S. law.
Christopher’s bill also suggested that the US should provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly to faith-based groups to support internally displaced people in Nigeria’s middle belt states.
The bill also called for conditioning US foreign assistance, including funding through global health programs, on immediate actions to address religious freedom violations.
It urged the development of long-term strategies to promote peace and stability, including requiring the Nigerian government to take swift and effective measures to prevent religious persecution, prosecute those responsible for violence, provide support for millions of internally displaced persons, and uphold constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Christopher’s bill was introduced on the same day that US Senator Ted Cruz announced his commitment to holding Nigerian officials accountable over allegations of genocide against Christians.
Cruz is championing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a bill designed to protect Christians and other religious minorities from widespread persecution in Nigeria.
After the CPC designation, Trump also warned of possible military action in Nigeria if its leaders failed to protect Christians in the country.
