US Pushes Bill to Designate Fulani Ethnic Militias as Foreign Terrorists Organisation

By Paul Joseph

Hours after the US announced a deployment of 200 military personnel to add to the already few numbers who arrived Nigeria recently, a group of Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives has put forward a bill aimed at designating Fulani ethnic militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) due to alleged religious violence in Nigeria.

The proposed legislation, named the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, was introduced by Representative Riley Moore and co-sponsored by Representative Chris Smith along with other Republican members.

It urges the U.S. Secretary of State to evaluate whether Fulani militias fulfill the criteria for terrorist designation and to provide Congress with annual updates on efforts to address claims of religious persecution in Nigeria.

Moore stated that the bill aims to enhance U.S. oversight of Nigeria’s security situation and ensure that American aid does not contribute to what the sponsors describe as systemic religious violence.

He announced the proposal in a post on X, emphasizing that it builds on previous U.S. actions that raised alarms about religious freedom in Nigeria.

“Our legislation will build upon the momentum of President Trump designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and the recent U.S.-Nigeria security framework agreement,” Moore noted.

The bill, designated as HR 7457, requires the State Department to provide annual reports to the foreign affairs committees of both congressional chambers detailing measures taken to address what it terms the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Chris Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, argued that Washington needs to exert more pressure on Nigerian authorities to tackle ongoing violence.

He accused the Nigerian government of minimizing the religious aspects of the crisis and warned that continued inaction could escalate attacks on communities and places of worship.

If enacted, the legislation could impact future U.S. security cooperation and aid decisions regarding Nigeria.

As of the time of this report, Nigerian authorities had not provided an official response to the proposed bill.