The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Wednesday faulted the United States Congress for considering a bill, which named the party’s national leader, alongside others for potential targeted sanctions, including a visa ban and asset seizure over what the bill described as systemic religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
The Nigerian opposition party vehemently picked holes in the new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives seeking sweeping oversight measures, including subjecting the former Kano governor to travel restrictions and financial sanctions.
The proposed legislation, titled: “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026”, was introduced during the 119th Congress by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey alongside Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia and other co-sponsors, including Reps. Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart and Bill Huizenga.
In its findings, the bill asserted that systemic religious persecution has persisted in Nigeria since at least 2009, including mass killings, kidnappings, rape, village destruction and forced displacement perpetrated by Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, Fulani militant groups and other extremist organisations.
The bill, which is still a proposal, if adopted and implemented, would impose sanctions and possible terrorist designations of Fulani militia groups. Aside from those they termed Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria, the lawmakers also listed Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as two other organisations that should be sanctioned.
However, the promoters of the new bill asked the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to carry out these sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and determine whether the violent Fulani groups should not be designated as terrorists.
The legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within 90 days of enactment and annually thereafter detailing American efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria. The reporting obligation would continue until Nigeria is no longer designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), the bill suggested.
TopSociety recalls that President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020 and again in October 2025. In its “Sense of Congress” section, the bill affirmed support for the CPC designation and called on the United States to use diplomatic, humanitarian, economic and security tools to pressure Nigeria to end impunity, protect Christian communities and enable the safe return of internally displaced persons.
It urged the Departments of State and Treasury to consider targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, against individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations. Specifically named for consideration are Fulani-ethnic nomad militias, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. The Secretary of State should determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria, qualify as a foreign terrorist organisation under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Individuals and networks—domestic or foreign—that provide support to these Fulani-ethnic militias should be investigated and held accountable,” the lawmakers requested.
Responding to the development in Capitol Hill, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed any notion by the US lawmakers that Kwankwaso has been responsible in any way for religious freedom violations.
He said it was curious and regrettable that Kwankwaso would be cited for what he knew nothing about. “We see this development as a contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria.
“His record is there in the public domain, either in public office or in private life and it is advisable for people to investigate such things properly, before reaching such conclusions,” the party said.
In trying to link a recent banter between Kwankwaso and US rep Moore to the proposed sanctions, the NNPP spokesman recalled that months prior, Kwankwaso openly condemned President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern over alleged religious persecution.
He quoted their 2023 presidential candidate as cautioning against what he described as oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s internal challenges at the time.
“Kwankwaso stated that it was important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country,” the statement read.
However, NNPP said Moore stated: “Governor, do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.
”This was because Kano state, under Kwankwaso’s leadership, brought the Islamic legal code into full effect, joining other northern Nigerian states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, and Borno.”
The NNPP’s statement wondered whether this online altercation was enough to accuse Kwankwaso of severe religious freedom violations.
“Why were the other state governors that introduced Sharia in their states not accused as well? Is Rep Moore being fair or selective? Isn’t the US in a good relationship with Qatar and Saudi (both Sharia Countries)? Why is this coming just after our government apparently paid for a consultant in the US.
“Isn’t it strange that it is Kwankwaso, an opposition leader that has spoken out so many times about the insecurity under this administration that the United States now seems to be turning on?
“We recall that as governor of Kano State, Senator Kwankwaso ensured that the Boko Haram sect was wiped out of the state and his close relationships with Christian leaders in Kano and across the country attest to his credibility as a national leader and statesman.
“Even when he was pressured to introduce Sharia, he still lost his election because the predominantly Muslim voters punished him for supporting a Christian presidential candidate, in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,” the NNPP statement said, adding that in 2023, Kwankwaso ran his presidential campaign with a Christian Bishop, Isaac Idahosa as his running mate.
“These are the facts, which we think, should guide the Congress and its leaders, particularly Reps Riley Moore and Chris Smith to do a thorough investigation on the credibility of our leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso so that justice is done to his noble name and cleared of such undue embarrassment,” the statement concluded.
