Republican lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives introduced legislation on Tuesday seeking to designate Fulani ethnic militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) over alleged religious violence in Nigeria.
The proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced by Representative Chris Smith and co-sponsored by Representative Riley Moore alongside other Republican lawmakers, calls on the United States Secretary of State to consider formal terrorist designation for Fulani militias and submit annual reports to Congress on efforts to address religious persecution in Nigeria.
The bill, tagged HR 7457, also urges a review of US assistance to Nigeria to ensure American support does not inadvertently sponsor religious persecution or systemic violence.
Moore, Republican representative from West Virginia, announced the legislation in a post on X on Tuesday. He wrote that the United States, as a Christian nation, must stand with persecuted Christians worldwide, and the bill builds upon President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and the recent United States-Nigeria security framework agreement.
The bill requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to the foreign affairs committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate detailing efforts to address what lawmakers describe as Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, said the United States has a responsibility to pressure Nigeria to act against systemic violence. He stated that the Nigerian government’s denial of religious persecution has enabled religious-based violence to fester, with Christian deaths and church attacks reaching unprecedented numbers.
The legislation references destruction of churches, kidnappings, sexual violence, and attacks on villages, estimating that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians were killed between 2009 and 2025.
Moore said he visited Nigeria as part of an investigation initiated by President Trump. He witnessed firsthand the horrors Christians face and saw the security challenges Nigeria confronts, adding that the bill demonstrates that the United States stands with persecuted Christians.
Tom Cole, Republican representative from Oklahoma and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said defending religious liberty globally aligns with United States interests and responsibilities. Cole stated the proposed law would reinforce efforts to ensure that religious persecution will not be tolerated.
The legislation also calls on the Secretary of State to counter what it describes as hostile foreign exploitation of illegal Chinese mining operations in Nigeria.
Brian Mast, Republican representative from Florida and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican representative from Florida, and Bill Huizenga, Republican representative from Michigan, are among other co-sponsors.
Moore visited Nigeria in December 2025 as part of a congressional delegation that met with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja.
In November 2025, Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a move that allows the United States executive branch to apply diplomatic and economic measures. Trump also authorised coordinated strikes with the Nigerian government against suspected militants on Christmas Day 2025.
The Nigerian government has disputed characterisations of religious persecution, with President Bola Tinubu stating in November 2025 that such descriptions do not reflect Nigeria’s national reality. Tinubu emphasised that religious freedom and tolerance remain core tenets of Nigerian identity.
