By BONIFACE AKARAH

A coalition convened by Save Nigeria Group USA has endorsed H.R. 7457—the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026—calling for urgent bipartisan support in the United States Congress to address reported violence against Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria.

In a February 11 statement issued in Washington, D.C., the “End the Genocide Against Nigerian Christians Coalition” described the proposed legislation, introduced by Representatives Riley Moore and Christopher Smith, as a step toward confronting what it called escalating persecution and impunity.

The coalition also commended the Trump administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom for redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, while recognising congressional leaders for prioritising action on religious persecution.

Stephen Osemwegie, president of Save Nigeria Group USA, said the scale of recent violence underscores the urgency of legislative action. “This is no longer a localized conflict but a systematic campaign of violence driven by extremist ideology and enabled by impunity,” he said, adding that H.R. 7457 would introduce “vital accountability mechanisms—including targeted sanctions and FTO designation reviews—to protect innocent lives.”

According to the coalition, swift passage of the bill would enable the application of Global Magnitsky sanctions against alleged perpetrators and financiers, encourage repeal of blasphemy laws it says are used to persecute Christians, and condition security assistance on measurable progress in preventing mass atrocities.

The group urged Americans to contact their elected representatives to support co-sponsorship and immediate floor consideration of the legislation. “The time for reports has passed. The time for accountability is now,” the statement said.

Coalition members include multiple faith-based, human rights, and diaspora organisations across the United States, among them Equipping the Persecuted, Save the Persecuted Christians, Africa Arise, the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiative, the US-Nigeria Law Group, the International Committee on Nigeria, and the Christian Association of Nigerian Americans.

The coalition said it remains committed to advocating religious liberty and preventing mass violence in Nigeria as the proposed legislation moves through the U.S. congressional process.

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