A new bill in the United States House of Representatives seeks to address illegal Chinese mining operations in Nigeria, linking them to funding for Fulani militias and destabilizing activities. The legislation proposes that the US Secretary of State work directly with the Nigerian government to curb these practices.

Titled the ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026’, the bill was introduced on Tuesday by five Republican lawmakers: Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga. It aims to tackle what the sponsors describe as “hostile foreign exploitation of Chinese illegal mining operations” in Nigeria.

The lawmakers claim that some Chinese mining activities in Nigeria contribute to violence by “paying protection money to Fulani militias.” The bill further directs the US Secretary of State to consider “technical support to the Government of Nigeria to reduce and then eliminate violence from armed Fulani militias.”

Clauses 10 and 11 of the proposed legislation specifically state:

“The Secretary of State should consider technical support to the Government of Nigeria to reduce and then eliminate violence from armed Fulani militias, including disarmament programs and comprehensive counter-terrorism cooperation to rid the region of Foreign Terrorist Organizations that pose a direct threat to the American homeland;

“The Secretary of State should work with the Government of Nigeria to counteract the hostile foreign exploitation of Chinese illegal mining operations and their destabilizing practice of paying protection money to Fulani militias.”

In addition, the bill calls on the US Department of State to engage international partners, including France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, to collaborate with Nigeria in promoting religious freedom and regional peace. The Secretary of State is also tasked with determining whether certain “Fulani-ethnic militias” in Nigeria meet the criteria to be designated as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations.”

The proposal echoes concerns raised in an April 2023 report by The Times, which noted that Chinese nationals in the Nigerian mining sector were allegedly funding terrorist groups to maintain access to mineral resources. According to the report, “Beijing could be indirectly funding terror in Africa’s largest economy.” Some Chinese miners in Zamfara were reportedly acting as intermediaries for militant groups in the state and across north western Nigeria.

(Arise News)

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