A group of Republican House members has introduced legislation that could brand Fulani ethnic militias a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, citing “religious violence” in Nigeria.
The bill, dubbed the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, is led by Riley Moore of West Virginia and co-sponsored by Chris Smith of New Jersey along with several GOP colleagues.
If passed, it would require the secretary of state to weigh whether Fulani militias merit formal terrorist designation and to send Congress yearly updates on Washington’s efforts to counter what the bill calls religious persecution in Nigeria.
The measure also tells the State Department to scrutinise US aid to Nigeria so American money does not end up enabling attacks on civilians.
Moore announced the plan Tuesday on X:
“Today, I’m proud to introduce the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 with Rep. Chris Smith. The US is a Christian nation. We must stand with persecuted Christians worldwide. Our bill builds on President Trump naming Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and the recent US-Nigeria security framework.”
Designated HR 7457, the bill orders the secretary to file an annual report with the House and Senate foreign-affairs committees laying out steps taken against what it describes as anti-Christian violence.
Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, said Washington must press Nigeria harder.
“The Nigerian government’s outright denial that religious persecution is happening lets the violence fester. Attacks on churches and Christian deaths have hit record levels,” he said.
The legislation cites burned churches, mass kidnappings, sexual assaults and village raids, estimating that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians were killed between 2009 and 2025.
Moore, who travelled to Nigeria last year on a fact-finding trip commissioned by then-President Trump, said,
“I saw the horrors our brothers and sisters in Christ endure and the security gaps Nigeria faces. This bill shows we back them.”
