Godsent Ogbebor
US Slams Visa Ban on Nigerians Accused of Attacking Religious Freedom
The United States has placed fresh visa restrictions on Nigerians alleged to be involved in acts that undermine religious freedom, especially attacks described as targeted violence against Christians.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced the measure in a post on X on Tuesday, saying the sanctions were meant for those who “knowingly direct, authorise, fund, support or carry out violations of religious freedom.”
His comment followed a roundtable in Washington where American lawmakers met with foreign policy and religious rights experts to review Nigeria’s rising violence and claims of attacks on Christian communities.
Rubio said the visa ban covers individuals in Nigeria and other places where people are punished or harmed because of their faith, stressing that the US government would respond forcefully to “atrocities and violence against Christians” anywhere in the world.
The Washington meeting formed part of an ongoing probe ordered by President Donald Trump on allegations of religious persecution.
Read also: British-Tunisian Journalist Detained in US After Visa Revoked
Last month, Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, introduced a resolution calling for visa bans and asset freezes on persons and groups connected to severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
At the roundtable, Smith identified the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as organisations of interest.
He also advised that “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in Benue and Plateau be listed as Entities of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.
In response, MACBAN urged the US Congress to withdraw the recommendations, arguing that the proposal wrongly grouped peaceful pastoralists with criminal gangs that operate independently and have also suffered from the country’s worsening insecurity.
During the session, Smith also accused the Nigerian government of failing to act decisively, a position that deepened concerns already raised by the lawmakers.
