NNPP Expresses Shock over  US Proposed Visa Ban, Asset Seizure Against Kwankwaso, Others

• Congressmen seek sanctions for Fulani militias, Miyetti Allah   •Military confirms expected deployment of US soldiers to Nigeria  •Says troops will avoid combat, focus on training

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Kwankwaso’s party, yesterday expressed shock over the reports that the US Congress is considering a bill, which named the party’s national leader,  alongside others for potential targeted sanctions.

This followed a new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives  seeking sweeping oversight measures, including the imposition of a visa ban and asset seizure on former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over what the bill described as systemic religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.

The move, which is still at the proposal stage, if it materialises could subject the former Nigerian presidential candidate to travel restrictions and financial sanctions when adopted and implemented.

The bill is also seeking potential sanctions and possible terrorist designations of Fulani militia groups. Aside from those they termed Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria, the lawmakers also listed Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as two other organisations that should be sanctioned.

However, the promoters of the new bill asked the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to carry out these sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and determine whether the violent Fulani groups should not be designated as terrorists.

The proposed legislation, titled: “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026”, was introduced during the 119th Congress by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey alongside Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia and other co-sponsors, including Reps. Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart and Bill Huizenga. The bill has been referred to the relevant House committee for consideration.

The legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within 90 days of enactment and annually thereafter detailing American efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria. The reporting obligation would continue until Nigeria is no longer designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), the bill suggested.

In its findings, the bill asserted that systemic religious persecution has persisted in Nigeria since at least 2009, including mass killings, kidnappings, rape, village destruction and forced displacement perpetrated by Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, Fulani militant groups and other extremist organisations.

The lawmakers alleged that the Fulani groups have carried out repeated acts that meet the statutory definition of terrorist activity under U.S. immigration law, including targeted killings, hostage-taking, armed assaults, massacres and forced displacement.

The legislation pointed to a series of attacks in Benue and Plateau states between May 2023 and May 2025, including incidents in Umogidi, Mgban, Yelwata, as well as Christmas Eve massacres in 2023 and 2024 and Holy Week and Easter attacks in 2024 and 2025. According to the bill, more than 9,500 people, mostly Christians, were killed in those incidents, while over half a million others were displaced.

The proponents argued that such actions meet the criteria for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation under Section 219 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

The bill criticised what it described as the Nigerian government’s routine denial of religious persecution and failure to intervene adequately in some attacks, including the October 14, 2025 massacre in Plateau State.

Recall that President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020 and again in October 2025.

In its “Sense of Congress” section, the bill affirmed support for the CPC designation and called on the United States to use diplomatic, humanitarian, economic and security tools to pressure Nigeria to end impunity, protect Christian communities and enable the safe return of internally displaced persons.

It urged the Departments of State and Treasury to consider targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, against individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations. Specifically named for consideration are Fulani-ethnic nomad militias, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

“The Government of Nigeria has historically failed to adequately respond to or prevent religiously motivated violence and continues to tolerate impunity by extremist actors, in part by denying the religious nature of such extremism. The United States should use all available diplomatic, humanitarian, economic, and security tools to pressure the Government of Nigeria to:

“End impunity for perpetrators of mass atrocities and religious persecution;  protect Christian communities, clergy, and other targeted religious minorities;  enable the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons to their homelands, prioritising persecuted Christian communities.

“And ensure freedom of religion is protected by every level of government and that the proper legal channels ensure this right remains wholly intact, including the repeal of blasphemy laws and release of prisoners detained for their  faith,” a section of the bill read.

It added: The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, or report to Congress the reasons such sanctions have not been imposed, including:

“Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. The Secretary of State should determine whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias in Nigeria, qualify as a foreign terrorist organisation under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“Individuals and networks—domestic or foreign—that provide support to these Fulani-ethnic militias should be investigated and held accountable,” the lawmakers requested.

The bill also encouraged technical support to Nigeria to reduce violence from armed militias, including disarmament programmes and counter-terrorism cooperation. It raised concerns about alleged hostile foreign exploitation, including claims that Chinese illegal mining operations pay protection money to armed groups.

Under the reporting requirement, the Secretary of State must assess Nigeria’s compliance with the International Religious Freedom Act, identify sanctioned individuals and entities, detail joint humanitarian assistance efforts, evaluate U.S. security assistance and assess whether it risks enabling persecution.

The report must also examine steps taken by Nigeria to repeal blasphemy laws, investigate abuses under Sharia law, improve conditions for internally displaced persons and dismantle extremist networks. It would include recommendations for further executive or congressional actions deemed necessary to halt religious persecution and mass atrocities.

If enacted, the legislation would institutionalise sustained congressional oversight of U.S. engagement with Nigeria on religious freedom and security issues, linking the future trajectory of bilateral relations to measurable progress in addressing religious violence and impunity.

But the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expressed shock over the reports that the US Congress is considering a bill, which names the party’s national leader, Kwankwaso, alongside the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and Fulani Ethnic Militia, for potential targeted sanctions.

Responding to the reports, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed any notion that Kwankwaso has been responsible in any way for religious freedom violations.

The party said it was curious and regrettable that Kwankwaso would be cited for what he knew nothing about. “We see this development as a contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria.

“His record is there in the public domain, either in public office or in private life and it is advisable for people to investigate such things properly, before reaching such conclusions,” the party said.

In trying to link a recent exchange of words between Kwankwaso and US rep Moore to the latest development, Johnson stated that months before now, Kwankwaso had openly reacted when President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern over alleged religious persecution.

He quoted Kwankwaso as cautioning against what he described as oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s internal challenges at the time.

“Kwankwaso stated that it was important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country,” the NNPP statement said.

However, the party said Moore stated: “Governor, do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death

”This was because Kano state, under Kwankwaso’s leadership, brought the Islamic legal code into full effect, joining other northern Nigerian states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, and Borno.”

The NNPP’s statement queried whether this online altercation was enough to accuse Kwankwaso of severe religious freedom violations.

“Why were the other state governors that introduced Sharia in their states not accused as well? Is Rep Moore being fair or selective? Isn’t the US in a good relationship with Qatar and Saudi (both Sharia Countries)? Why is this coming just after our government apparently paid for a consultant in the US.

“Isn’t it strange that it is Kwankwaso, an opposition leader that has spoken out so many times about the insecurity under this administration that the United States now seems to be turning on?

“We recall that as governor of Kano State, Senator Kwankwaso ensured that the Boko Haram sect was wiped out of the state and his close relationships with Christian leaders in Kano and across the country attest to his credibility as a national leader and statesman

“Even when he was pressured to introduce Sharia, he still lost his election because the predominantly Muslim voters punished him for supporting a Christian presidential candidate, in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,” the NNPP statement said.

Furthermore, the party stated that in 2023 Kwankwaso ran his presidential campaign with a Christian Bishop, Isaac Idahosa as his running mate.

“These are the facts, which we think, should guide the Congress and its leaders, particularly Reps Riley Moore and Chris Smith to do a thorough investigation on the credibility of our leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso so that justice is done to his noble name and cleared of such undue embarrassment,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s military confirmed yesterday that about 200 U.S. troops were expected in the country in the coming weeks, but explained that they would not take part in combat action and that Nigerian forces would retain full control over all security decisions.

This followed comments from a U.S. official on Tuesday that the Pentagon planned to deploy the troops to train Nigerian forces fighting Islamist militants, weeks after President Donald Trump ordered against what he described as Islamic State targets, a Reuters report said.

Last week, the U.S. military confirmed it had sent a small team to Nigeria, without giving details, marking Washington’s first acknowledgment of personnel on the ground since the Christmas Day strikes.

Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, told Reuters that Abuja requested the U.S. presence to provide technical training and advisory work at several locations.

“These personnel do not serve in a combat capacity and will not assume a direct operational role,” Uba said. “Nigerian forces retain full command authority, make all operational decisions and will lead all missions on Nigerian sovereign territory,” Uba added.

He declined to say when the troops would arrive, but said the deployment formed part of ongoing cooperation under the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group.

Washington has stepped up pressure on Nigeria after Trump accused the West African nation of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest. Nigeria rejects allegations of religious persecution, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.