The United States has announced fresh visa restrictions on Nigerians accused of undermining religious freedom, particularly in cases involving attacks on Christian communities.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the move in a post on X, stating that the restrictions would apply to individuals who “knowingly direct, authorise, fund, support or carry out violations of religious freedom.”
Rubio said the decision follows increasing global concern over what he described as “atrocities and violence against Christians” in Nigeria and other countries.
The announcement came a day after U.S. lawmakers convened a roundtable in Washington to examine rising insecurity and alleged targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The session is part of ongoing investigations triggered by President Donald Trump’s directive to review religious freedom conditions in the country.
Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Chris Smith, renewed calls for sanctions last month, recommending visa bans and asset freezes for individuals and groups implicated in religious violence.
Smith singled out the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and proposed listing “Fulani-ethnic militias” in parts of Benue and Plateau as entities of particular concern under U.S. law.
However, MACBAN has appealed to U.S. Congress to withdraw its recommendation, arguing that criminal gangs should not be conflated with peaceful pastoralists who, it said, are themselves victims of Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
During Tuesday’s deliberations, Congressman Smith accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately protect religious minorities, suggesting elements of complicity in ongoing attacks.
The latest U.S. measures signal growing international pressure on Nigeria to address escalating violence and uphold religious freedoms across the country.