Five United States lawmakers have introduced a significant bill, H.R. 7457, known as the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, aimed at confronting the escalating persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria. Introduced by Republicans Chris Smith (R-NJ), Riley Moore (R-WV), Brian Mast (R-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), the legislation proposes stringent measures against individuals and entities deemed responsible for severe violations of religious freedom, including visa restrictions and asset freezes.

The proposed legislation mandates the U.S. Secretary of State to submit periodic assessments to Congress detailing Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom obligations and actions taken to protect vulnerable communities. If enacted, it would compel U.S. authorities to consider targeted sanctions, humanitarian assistance, and security cooperation frameworks. These measures are designed to end impunity for perpetrators of religious violence and strengthen protections for affected populations, with future U.S.-Nigeria relations being contingent on the Nigerian government’s response to these alleged atrocities.

Lawmakers cited dire statistics and specific incidents to justify the bill, including estimates of 50,000 to 125,000 Christians killed between 2009 and 2025, and over 19,000 churches destroyed. They referenced attacks in Yelwata, the Christmas Eve massacres of 2023 and 2024, and the Holy Week and Easter attacks of 2024 and 2025, which reportedly left over 9,500 people, mostly Christians, dead and displaced over half a million. According to Open Doors’ 2026 Watch List, Nigeria accounts for 72 percent of Christians killed worldwide. Cases like Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu, who suffered mob violence, imprisonment, or death over alleged blasphemy, with perpetrators rarely punished, were also highlighted. The lawmakers lauded former U.S. President Donald Trump for