US Lawmaker Riley Moore Introduces Bill to Address Christian Persecution in Nigeria

In a move aimed at tackling rising violence against Christians in Nigeria, U.S. Representatives Riley Moore (R-WV) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, have introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (H.R. 7457).

The proposed legislation seeks to increase transparency and strengthen both U.S. and Nigerian responses to what its sponsors describe as systematic religious persecution and mass atrocities against Christian communities.

The bill has garnered support from key congressional figures, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), Appropriations Vice Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and East Asia Chairman Bill Huizenga (R-MI).

If passed, the legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of State to submit an annual comprehensive report to Congress outlining American efforts to combat religious persecution in Nigeria.

It also directs the Secretary of State to examine options such as designating Fulani militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), reviewing sanctions on individuals linked to violence, and assessing whether U.S. foreign assistance is inadvertently contributing to or failing to curb the persecution of Christians.

Speaking on the bill, Rep. Moore stressed what he described as a moral obligation. “The U.S. is a Christian nation. As such, we must stand with persecuted Christians around the world,” he said.

He added that the legislation builds on earlier actions, including Nigeria’s previous designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over severe religious freedom violations and existing U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation frameworks.

Rep. Smith, a longstanding advocate for international religious freedom, said the bill is intended to break what he termed “the silence on mass Christian killings” in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions, where attacks by armed groups, often identified as Fulani militias, have reportedly claimed thousands of lives in recent years.

The introduction of the bill comes amid growing international concern over Nigeria’s security crisis, which has displaced communities and drawn criticism over what some observers describe as an inadequate government response.

Advocacy organisations and religious freedom monitors have consistently ranked Nigeria among the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians, citing reports of targeted killings, abductions and destruction of places of worship.

With broad bipartisan and committee-level backing, the bill is expected to move swiftly through the House of Representatives.

Sponsors say it builds on previous congressional resolutions condemning religious persecution in Nigeria and calling for stronger measures to protect religious minorities.

As deliberations begin, the proposed legislation signals increasing focus within the U.S. Congress on accountability for perpetrators of violence and greater protection for vulnerable faith communities in Africa’s most populous nation.