Bill Seeking Visa Ban On Miyetti Allah Enters US Congress

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.

This is part of the moves launched by US government to tackle what it described as violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.

On Friday, President Donald Trump had 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 had rejected the claims and made it clear that the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship.

But Trump disregarded all these and signaled America’s Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria.

The New York Times had reported how the US military drafted plan for potential action in Nigeria.

On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman, Christopher Smith, presented the bill which seeks 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 ongoing reports of attacks on Christian communities in 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 designated under the Act include Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, ISIS-Sahel, the Taliban, and the Houthis.

If passed, the bill would empower U.S. authorities to impose visa bans and asset freezes on individuals linked to the named entities.

The bill was introduced after months of agitation by American lawmakers and evangelical 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 government 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, Islamic State in West Africa Province.

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 US State Department to submit annual reports to Congress on Nigeria’s human rights record and to recommend visa bans or financial sanctions where violations persist.

Representative Riley Moore, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also sent a letter to US 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 said, thanking Trump for his “leadership” and commitment to defend believers “being slaughtered by radical Islamists.”(Daily trust)