House Republicans have introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, which seeks to prompt U.S. action to document religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria. The bill was unveiled on Tuesday.
The legislation calls for the Secretary of State to provide annual reports to the House and Senate foreign affairs committees on U.S. efforts to address Christian persecution in Nigeria. It also asks the secretary to consider designating Fulani ethnic militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, review sanctioned individuals, and assess whether U.S. assistance in Nigeria may be contributing to Christian persecution.
The bill is co-sponsored by New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee; Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; and West Virginia Republican Rep. Riley Moore. The proposed legislation continues actions previously taken by both legislative and executive branches against terrorism in Nigeria.
In addition, the bill instructs the secretary of state to counter illegal Chinese mining operations in Nigeria that are seen as hostile foreign exploitation.
Supporters include Florida Rep. Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Appropriations Vice Chairman; and Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs South and East Asia Subcommittee.
According to a statement from Smith, “The Nigerian government’s blatant denial of the religious persecution occurring within its borders has only enabled the religious-based violence in the country to fester, with Christian deaths and church attacks reaching unprecedented numbers.”
The bill references widespread violence including destruction of churches, mass kidnappings, rape, attacks on villages, and estimates that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians were killed from 2009 to 2025.
West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore said in a statement: “As part of the investigation President Trump asked me to lead, I visited Nigeria and witnessed firsthand the horrors our brothers and sisters in Christ face and saw the security challenges Nigeria faces,” adding that “the United States stands with our persecuted.”
Judd Saul, head of Equipping the Persecuted and Truth Nigeria—organizations providing on-the-ground reporting—described the bill as a “step in the right direction” and commended Smith and Moore for their involvement.
The legislation points out previous actions by President Donald Trump regarding this issue. In November 2025, Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern—a move allowing economic and diplomatic measures—and coordinated strikes with Nigerian authorities against perpetrators during Christmas Day.
Smith emphasized that it is important for the U.S. to maintain pressure on Nigeria’s government: “address and punish” systemic violence against Christians and non-radical Muslims by Islamist extremists.
Chris Smith has represented New Jersey’s 4th district in Congress since 1981 after succeeding Frank Thompson (https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/10/gop-representatives-chris-smith-riley-moore-christian-persecution-nigeria-islam-fulani-militias/). He was born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1953 and currently resides in Manchester Township. Smith graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.
