US Republican Lawmakers Propose Visa Ban On Kwankwaso, Miyetti Allah

Five members of the US House of Representatives have proposed a new bill calling for stronger action over alleged religious persecution and mass killings in Nigeria.

The proposed bill is seeking to compel the US secretary of state to submit a “comprehensive report on US efforts to address the ongoing religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria”.

If the bill is passed, it would direct the US Departments of State and Treasury to apply sanctions, including visa restrictions and freezing of assets, on “individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations” in Nigeria.

Among those named in the draft legislation are Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP); the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore; and what the bill describes as Fulani ethnic nomadic militias operating in Nigeria.

The proposal was introduced on Tuesday by lawmakers Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga.

Moore is listed as the main sponsor of the bill which is titled: ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026’.

The sponsors said US President Donald Trump “acted justly” by redesignating Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC).

This designation allows the US government to take diplomatic or economic measures in response to religious freedom violations.

The lawmakers stated that the US should use “all available diplomatic, humanitarian, economic, and security tools to pressure the Government of Nigeria to end impunity for perpetrators of mass atrocities and religious persecution and protect Christian communities, clergy, and other targeted religious minorities”.

The bill also calls on the Secretary of State to assess whether certain Fulani ethnic militias should be classified as foreign terrorist organisations.

“The United States should deliver humanitarian assistance, co-funded by the Government of Nigeria, through trusted civil society organizations, including faith-based organizations, in Nigeria’s middle belt states,” part of the bill reads.

“The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, or report to Congress the reasons such sanctions have not been imposed, including—

“(A) Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria;

“(B) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor;

‘(C) Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and

“(D) Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.”

Riley Moore, who proposed the bill, has repeatedly raised concerns about the systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria. He visited the country in November 2025 to examine the issue firsthand.

In the same month, Trump formally designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a move that gives the US executive branch authority to consider punitive measures.