Formal Statement to the Office of Congressman Riley Moore.
Subject: Urgent Recommendation Regarding H.R. 7457 – Protecting Social Cohesion in Nigeria
Dear Congressman Moore,
While we acknowledge and share your grave concern regarding the escalating violence and the need for accountability for militias operating within Nigeria, we write to urgently recommend a refinement of the language and title used in the proposed “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026.”
As stakeholders invested in the long-term stability of Nigeria, we believe the current framing of the bill risks unintended consequences that could undermine its humanitarian goals:
A. Preventing Ethnic Profiling.
By focusing heavily on “Fulani ethnic militias” and “religious violence,” the bill risks being misinterpreted locally as a blanket indictment of the Fulani people or the Islamic faith.
In a volatile security environment, this provides “moral cover” for radical groups to conduct reprisal attacks against innocent civilians based on their ethnicity or religion.
B. Targeting the Criminal Network.
The violence in Nigeria is driven by a complex web of “bandits,” arms traffickers, and illegal mining financiers who transcend ethnic and religious lines. To be effective, the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation must target the criminal organization and its sponsors, rather than using an ethnic identifier that targets a demographic of millions.
C. Countering Divisive Narratives.
Local extremist actors are already using the “religious” framing of this bill to advance agendas of national division. We urge the U.S. Congress to avoid language that simplifies a complex socio-economic and resource-driven conflict into a “holy war,” as this only serves to radicalize the population further.
Our Recommendation.
We propose that the bill be retitled to focus on “Regional Security and Transnational Crime” or “Protection of Civilians from Militia Violence.” The proscription should target specific, named insurgent groups and their financiers (regardless of nationality or tribe) rather than an entire ethnicity.
The United States has always been a partner in peace; we ask that this legislation reflects that by targeting the perpetrators of terror without inadvertently fueling a cycle of sectarian violence.
ON A PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY THEME!
Statement to Congressman Moore.
Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding H.R. 7457 – Strategic Risks of Targeting Nigerian Legal Sovereignty and Regional Leadership
Dear Congressman Moore,
Regarding the “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” we wish to highlight critical concerns regarding the bill’s focus on the Sharia legal system and its potential impact on regional leadership in Northern Nigeria.
We believe that the current legislative approach, while intending to protect religious minorities, risks creating a significant diplomatic and security backlash due to the following:
A. Sovereignty and Constitutional Balance. Nigeria’s dual-legal system is a delicate constitutional settlement designed to maintain national unity. Statements characterizing Sharia law in its entirety as a “threat” or “incompatible” with freedom risk being viewed as an external attempt to dismantle Nigeria’s social contract.
This narrative provides extremist recruiters with “proof” of Western hostility toward Islamic culture, which undermines our shared counter-terrorism goals.
B. Destabilizing Regional Governance.
Proposing sanctions against state governors and judicial authorities (such as those in Kano and other Northern states) based on their administration of local laws may lead to a total breakdown in diplomatic cooperation. Without the cooperation of these regional leaders, the U.S. will lose the very partners needed to secure the “Middle Belt” and the North.
C. Targeting the Perceived “Islamist Agenda”.
We urge the U.S. Congress to distinguish between criminal militias and the legal/religious identity of millions of Nigerians. When U.S. policy appears to target the faith and the governors of a specific region, it inadvertently empowers local divisive campaigns that frame this as a religious war, rather than a security crisis.
Our Professional Advice:
We strongly recommend that the U.S. Congress pivots its strategy to focus on individual human rights abuses and specific acts of violence, rather than a broad legislative assault on a region’s legal system or its leadership.
Precision in language will protect the lives of Christians and Muslims alike, whereas broad strokes will only serve to set Nigeria on a path toward deeper sectarian division.
Sincerely,
Comrade, IG Wala.
Founder;
Nigerian Citizens Investigative Platform.
NICIP.
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