A group of Republican lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives has introduced a bill seeking to designate Fulani ethnic militias as a terrorist organisation, citing allegations of religiously motivated violence in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled: “The Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” was sponsored by Rep. Riley Moore and co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, alongside other Republican members.
The bill calls on the U.S. Secretary of State to assess whether the militias meet the legal threshold for terrorist designation.
It also mandates annual briefings to Congress on actions taken to address alleged religious persecution and violence in Nigeria.
The move comes shortly after the United States announced the deployment of 200 additional military personnel to Nigeria, reinforcing earlier security engagements between both countries.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Rep. Moore said the legislation is intended to strengthen congressional oversight of Nigeria’s security challenges and ensure that U.S. assistance does not inadvertently support what he described as systemic religious violence.
“Our legislation builds on previous actions, including President Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and the recent U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation framework,” Rep. Moore stated.
The bill, identified as H.R. 7457, would require the State Department to submit yearly reports to the relevant foreign affairs committees of both the House and Senate.
These reports would detail efforts to respond to what the sponsors describe as targeted violence against Christian communities.
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Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Africa, argued that stronger diplomatic pressure is needed to compel Nigerian authorities to address persistent insecurity.
He accused the Nigerian government of downplaying the religious dimensions of the crisis and warned that failure to act decisively could embolden further attacks on civilians and places of worship.
If passed into law, the measure could influence future U.S. security partnerships, foreign aid allocations, and diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
As of press time, the federal government had yet to issue an official response to the proposed legislation.
