In a move that has sparked fresh debates on Nigeria’s security challenges and US-Nigeria relations, House Republicans in the United States have introduced a new bill aimed at documenting and addressing what they describe as “religious persecution and mass atrocities” in Nigeria. The legislation, known as the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (HR 7457), was unveiled on Tuesday and seeks to hold the Nigerian government accountable for ongoing violence against Christians and other minorities.
The bill, exclusively learned by the Daily Caller, mandates the US Secretary of State to submit an annual report to congressional foreign affairs committees detailing American efforts to tackle Christian persecution in Nigeria. It also urges the consideration of designating Fulani ethnic militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), reviewing sanctioned individuals, and examining whether US assistance to Nigeria inadvertently fuels such persecution. Additionally, the legislation calls for measures to counter “hostile foreign exploitation” linked to illegal Chinese mining operations in the country.
Sponsored by New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee; Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; and West Virginia Republican Rep. Riley Moore, the bill has already gained backing from other prominent Republicans, including Florida Rep. Brian Mast (House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman), Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (Appropriations Vice Chairman), and Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga (House Foreign Affairs South and East Asia Subcommittee Chairman).
This development builds on recent actions by President Donald Trump, who in November 2025 redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the US International Religious Freedom Act. The CPC status, which allows for economic and diplomatic pressures, was first applied to Nigeria in 2020 during Trump’s first term but was removed in 2021 by the Biden administration. Trump’s administration also coordinated military strikes with Nigerian forces against perpetrators on Christmas Day 2025, targeting groups accused of anti-Christian violence.
Rep. Smith, a vocal critic of Nigeria’s handling of the issue, stated: “The Nigerian government’s blatant denial of the religious persecution occurring within its borders has only enabled the religious-based violence in the country to fester, with Christian deaths and church attacks reaching unprecedented numbers.” He emphasized the US’s responsibility to pressure Abuja to “address and punish” systemic violence by Islamist extremists against Christians and non-radical Muslims.
Rep. Moore, who led a Trump-requested investigation and visited Nigeria, added: “I witnessed firsthand the horrors our brothers and sisters in Christ face and saw the security challenges Nigeria faces. This bill shows that the United States stands with our persecuted.”
Rep. Cole highlighted the broader implications: “Defending religious liberty across the globe, including in Nigeria, is not only the U.S.’s duty, but also serves a vital American interest. The bill will add to Trump’s efforts and make it clear that religious persecution will not be tolerated.”
The bill cites alarming statistics, estimating that 50,000 to 125,000 Christians were martyred in Nigeria from 2009 to 2025, alongside the destruction of churches, mass kidnappings, rapes, and village attacks.
Independent reports corroborate these figures, with groups like Open Doors ranking Nigeria as the seventh-worst country for Christian persecution globally, noting it as the most violent place for followers of Jesus in recent years.
According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith up to September 2025, 3,490 occurred in Nigeria – about 72% of the total. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) reported over 7,000 Christian deaths in the first 220 days of 2025 alone, averaging 32 per day.
Fulani militias, often linked to herdsmen-farmer clashes, are a focal point of the bill. These groups have been accused of targeted attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions. In 2014, the Global Terrorism Index named Fulani militias the fourth-deadliest terrorist group worldwide.
Recent analyses show their violence escalating, with 7,983 casualties from 1,082 attacks between 1997 and 2018, often opportunistic and tied to resource disputes but increasingly ideological.
Critics argue that while religion plays a role, broader factors like climate change, land scarcity, and transnational militias from Mali, Niger, and Chad contribute to the conflict. The bill’s mention of illegal Chinese mining adds another layer, accusing these operations of exploiting Nigeria’s resources and fueling instability.
Nigeria loses an estimated $9 billion annually to illegal mining, much of it driven by Chinese nationals collaborating with local criminals. In 2025, arrests included seven Chinese in Akwa Ibom for unlicensed mining, highlighting environmental degradation, human rights abuses, and links to armed groups like bandits and Boko Haram.
A seven-year investigation by the Renevlyn Development Initiative revealed widespread Chinese infiltration in both northern and southern Nigeria, leading to revenue leakages and community displacement.
Judd Saul, head of Equipping the Persecuted and Truth Nigeria, praised the bill as a “step in the right direction” and commended the sponsors for championing the cause.However, the Nigerian government has rejected the CPC designation, calling it based on “faulty data” and misinformation.
Officials argue that violence affects Muslims and Christians alike, with groups like Boko Haram targeting all who oppose their ideology. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reports nearly 53,000 Muslims and Christians killed in targeted violence since 2009, with only 5% explicitly religion-based.
Abuja has emphasized its efforts, including military operations and regional partnerships, though critics point to funding gaps and corruption as hurdles.As the bill moves swiftly through the House, it underscores growing US scrutiny on Nigeria’s human rights record. For Nigerians, this could mean heightened international pressure but also risks straining bilateral ties amid economic dependencies.
NaijaChoice News will continue monitoring developments as debates unfold in Washington and Abuja.
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