By Ademola Adekusibe
November 6, 2025.
A Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, Christopher Smith, has introduced a bill that would impose sanctions on leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for alleged involvement in attacks on communities in Nigeria.
The measure asks the US Department of State and the Department of the Treasury to impose visa bans, asset freezes and other restrictive measures under the Global Magnitsky framework, a legal mechanism that allows the United States to target foreign individuals or organisations accused of human rights abuses or corruption.
In presenting the bill on Tuesday, Smith accused Islamic terror groups and armed herders of perpetrating mass murder, rape and kidnappings that have largely affected Christian and non-Fulani Muslim communities, causing displacement and the destruction of places of worship. He said the violence appeared to be part of a deliberate campaign to expand Fulani influence in parts of Nigeria.
The bill cites a number of reports and allegations, including claims that thousands of churches have been destroyed since 2009 and that tens of thousands of people have been killed or abducted in recent years. Supporters of the legislation point to what they describe as mounting evidence of organised attacks by armed herders and militants.
Miyetti Allah and related groups have repeatedly denied responsibility for coordinated attacks, and they say their members are often victims of violence in various states.
If passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president, the law would allow US authorities to block travel to the United States for named individuals, freeze assets held in US jurisdictions, and restrict business with US persons or entities.
The bill follows earlier moves in Washington to pressure Nigerian authorities over alleged religiously motivated violence. Senator Ted Cruz in October introduced a separate measure seeking sanctions on Nigerian officials, while other lawmakers, including Riley Moore, have urged the US government to take stronger action after Nigeria was designated a Country of Particular Concern by President Donald Trump.
The proposed sanctions law now faces the standard legislative process in Congress, where it must clear committee review and floor votes in both the House and the Senate before reaching the White House for the president’s signature.
