House Republicans led by Reps. Chris Smith and Riley Moore unveiled legislation Monday directing the United States Department of State to provide detailed reporting on U.S. actions addressing religious persecution in Nigeria.

The proposal, titled the “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act,” calls for regular federal assessments of American diplomatic, humanitarian, and security efforts aimed at protecting persecuted Christians. It also urges increased scrutiny of Nigeria’s response to extremist violence and its enforcement of religious law in certain regions.

The legislation aligns with actions taken by President Donald Trump, who designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations.

If enacted, the bill would require an initial State Department report within 90 days and annual updates thereafter until Nigeria is removed from the CPC list. The reports would evaluate Nigeria’s compliance with U.S. international religious freedom standards, its handling of blasphemy statutes in Muslim-majority states, humanitarian assistance for victims, and potential sanctions targets.

The legislation cites estimates that between 50,000 and 125,000 Christians have been killed between 2009 and 2025, with more than 19,000 churches attacked or destroyed. It specifically references violence attributed to ethnic Fulani militias, often referred to as “Fulani herdsmen,” as well as terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and factions aligned with the Islamic State. According to the humanitarian group Open Doors, 72 percent of Christians killed worldwide for their faith in 2025 died in Nigeria.

Current President Bola Tinubu has rejected claims that Nigeria tolerates religious persecution. Tinubu stated that characterizing Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect the country’s national reality and pointed to government efforts to protect freedom of belief.

The U.S. government also confirmed this month that it deployed a small team of military personnel to assist Nigerian forces in combating extremist threats.

In a statement supporting the measure, Smith said the bill responds to what he described as persistent denial by Nigerian authorities regarding faith-based violence. Moore, who previously visited Nigeria as part of an investigation requested by Trump, said Christians there face routine attacks and that stronger U.S. oversight is warranted.