Alleged Religious Freedom Violations: US Bill Seeking Sanctions Against Miyetti Allah, Kwankwaso Sparks Comments

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has expressed shock over a proposed bill in the United States seeking targeted sanctions, including visa restrictions and asset freezes, against individuals and organisations allegedly involved in religious freedom violations in Nigeria.

The proposed legislation, with the  title ‘the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026’, was introduced on Tuesday by US Congressman Rep. Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) and co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey).

The bill specifically mentions former Kano State governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alongside Fulani-ethnic militias and groups such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

A section of the proposed law calls on the US Department of State and the Department of the Treasury to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on individuals or entities accused of religious freedom violations.

It further mandates the US Secretary of State to assess whether certain Fulani militias qualify for designation as foreign terrorist organisations under American law.

The legislation also proposes that humanitarian assistance be delivered to Nigeria’s Middle Belt through trusted faith-based and non-governmental organisations, with support jointly funded by both the US and Nigerian governments.

Moore, in a statement posted on X, said the United States must stand with persecuted Christians worldwide, stressing that the bill builds on earlier steps, including Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern during former President Donald Trump’s administration, as well as a recently signed US–Nigeria security cooperation framework.

Reacting to the development, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Mansur Umar Kurugu, said the movement only became aware of the proposed sanctions like other Nigerians and was taken aback by the report.

“We received the information just like any other Nigerian with a shock. At the moment, we are studying what that means. At a later time, we shall issue a proper statement regarding that,” Kurugu said.

He added that the movement would first consult internally before making any official pronouncement on the matter.

Arewa Youths Fault US Sharia Claims

A youth group, Arewa Youths for Peace and Security, has criticised the United States for its stance on Sharia implementation in Kano State, describing it as based on misinformation.

Secretary General of the group, Comrade Salihu Dantata Mahmud said the U.S. decision concerning former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was based on a wrong premise.

“I think this decision taken by the United States is a misplaced priority because Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso did not introduce Sharia,” Mahmud said.

He noted that Sharia law was first introduced in northern Nigeria by former Zamfara State Governor Ahmed Yerima, adding that the version practised in Kano does not involve extreme punishments or restrictions on non-Muslims.

“The type of Sharia implemented in Kano is not where people are amputated or heavily restricted. Christians and others continue their normal religious activities in the state,” Mahmud stated.

The Arewa youth leader also described Kwankwaso as an inclusive leader, saying that people from different religious backgrounds served in his administration.

“Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is a secular leader with people from different religious backgrounds, including Christians, serving among his aides,” he said.

Mahmud dismissed claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, calling them misleading.

“It is the same kind of misinformation given to the US Congress and President Donald Trump alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria,” he added.

The group urged the US Congress and State Department to verify facts and obtain accurate, balanced information before making diplomatic or political decisions concerning Nigeria.

Nigeria Is A Sovereign Country, Not Answerable To America – MACBAN

In its reaction, the chairman, Plateau State Chapter, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Yusuf Babayo, asserted that Nigeria is a sovereign country and that America has no right to make a decision on behalf of the country’s good people.

“Nigeria is not answerable to America or any country. Any association or individual accused of wrongdoing should be thoroughly investigated before any decision is taken.

“America should leave us alone to solve our problem by ourselves and stop meddling in our own affairs,” he said

NNPP Rejects US Move To Blacklist Kwankwaso

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), loyal to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has kicked against the US move to blacklist him.

The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed any notion that Kwankwaso has been responsible for any violations of religious freedom.

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 in the public domain, whether in public office or in private life, and it is advisable for people to investigate such matters properly before reaching such conclusions.

“Months before the latest development, Kwankwaso had openly reacted when President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution. In a statement posted on his X handle at the time, Senator Kwankwaso cautioned against what he described as oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s internal challenges. 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.

”However, in a post shared on X, Rep Moore of the US Congress stated to Kwankwaso, “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.

“But is this enough to accuse Kwankwaso of severe religious freedom violations? Why were the other state governors who introduced Sharia in their states not also accused? Is Rep Moore being fair or selective? Isn’t the US in a good relationship with Qatar and Saudi Arabia (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 who 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. Furthermore, in 2023, he ran for president with 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,” he said.