Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a new bill seeking stronger United States action to document alleged religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria, according to a report by The Daily Caller.
The proposed legislation, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (HR 7457), urges the U.S. Secretary of State to submit an annual report to foreign affairs committees in both the House and the U.S. Senate.
The report would detail American efforts to address the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The bill also calls on the Secretary of State to evaluate whether Fulani ethnic militias should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. Additionally, it recommends reviewing individuals already under sanctions and assessing whether U.S. assistance to Nigeria could be indirectly enabling religious persecution.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Chris Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee; Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; and Riley Moore.
If passed, the bill would reinforce measures already taken by both legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government aimed at addressing terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria.
