A new bill before the United States Congress has proposed visa restrictions and asset freezes on members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
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The measure forms part of broader moves by the U.S. government to address what it describes as violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
Last Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared Nigeria a country of particular concern and directed Congressman Riley Moore and Chairman Tom Cole of the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the alleged killing of Christians and report back to him.
The Federal Government has rejected the claims, stressing that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship.
However, Trump reportedly disregarded these assurances and instructed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for potential military action in Nigeria. The New York Times also reported that the U.S. military had drafted contingency plans for possible intervention.
On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman Christopher Smith presented a bill seeking sanctions against individuals and groups “responsible for or complicit in severe violations of religious freedom” under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
Smith commended Trump for re-designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing continued reports of attacks on Christian communities across parts of the country.
The proposed legislation also names “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in Benue and Plateau States among Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs) — a U.S. designation reserved for non-state actors accused of serious violations of religious liberty.
Other EPCs previously listed under the Act include Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, ISIS-Sahel, the Taliban, and the Houthis.
If enacted, the bill would empower U.S. authorities to impose visa bans and asset freezes on individuals linked to the named entities.
The legislation follows months of pressure from American lawmakers and evangelical advocacy groups.
In September, Republican Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (S.2747), which seeks to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status and impose sanctions on culpable officials.
The bill, co-sponsored by five Republican senators including Ted Budd, cited the “systematic persecution of Christians and other religious minorities” by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The lawmakers alleged that more than 52,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, while over 20,000 churches and Christian institutions have been destroyed or attacked.
The proposed law also mandates the U.S. State Department to submit annual reports to Congress on Nigeria’s human rights record and recommend visa bans or financial sanctions where violations persist.
Representative Riley Moore, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging “immediate action” to address what he called the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.”
“You have always been a champion for Christians around the world,” Moore wrote, thanking Trump for his “leadership” and commitment to defend believers “being slaughtered by radical Islamists.”
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