…Condemns Misrepresentation
…Directs Foreign Affairs Ministry to Engage U.S. Congress
By Gift Chapi-Odekina, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Wednesday took a firm stance against a proposed legislation in the United States Senate, describing it as a gross mischaracterisation of Nigeria’s religious and security situation.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion titled “Urgent Need for a Coordinated Diplomatic and Domestic Response to the Proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (U.S. Senate Bill S.2747) and to Mischaracterisations of Nigeria’s Security and Religious-Freedom Landscape”, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and several other lawmakers.
The controversial U.S. bill, introduced in the Senate on September 9, 2025, seeks to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations and to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials under Executive Order 13818, also known as the Global Magnitsky Act.
In adopting the motion, the House rejected what it termed a “distorted and incomplete portrayal” of Nigeria’s realities, stressing that insecurity in the country is not driven by religion but by a mix of insurgency, banditry, separatist violence, and communal conflicts affecting citizens of all faiths.
Hon. Kalu reminded the chamber that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and prohibits the adoption of any state religion. He noted that successive governments have protected worshippers of all faiths while bringing perpetrators of violence to justice.
He warned that “external actions based on misinformed assumptions not only threaten our sovereignty but risk emboldening violent actors.”
Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said misinformation about Nigeria must be corrected, lamenting that “many people, including Nigerians, are bent on demarketing the country.”
Similarly, Hon. Sada Soli (Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency, Katsina State) urged the Federal Government to register its displeasure at what he described as “a deliberate attempt to dent Nigeria’s image.”
“We must redeem the image of our beloved country,” Soli said, warning that failure to respond would send the wrong message to the international community.
Hon. Billy Osawaru (Edo) also expressed concern over Nigeria’s diplomatic lapses, pointing out that “Nigeria does not even have an Ambassador to the United States at the moment.” He said the issue must be urgently addressed, insisting that Nigeria “cannot afford to fail the African continent.”
In its resolutions, the House condemned all forms of violence and persecution on religious grounds, while reaffirming the nation’s constitutional commitment to freedom of religion and belief.
It further mandated its Committees on Foreign Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, Interior, Information, National Orientation and Values, Police Affairs, Civil Society, and Human Rights to collaborate within 21 days with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to file a formal diplomatic protest against the U.S. bill.
The committees were also instructed to initiate a Nigeria–U.S. Joint Fact-Finding and Dialogue Mechanism on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), involving faith leaders, independent experts, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Additionally, the Committee on Legislative Compliance was mandated to ensure full implementation of the resolutions and report back within 28 days.
With the unanimous adoption of the motion, the House reaffirmed its commitment to defending Nigeria’s image globally and ensuring that its engagement with international partners remains grounded in facts, fairness, and mutual respect.
Copies of the resolution will be transmitted to the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, the U.S. Congress leadership, the U.S. Department of State, USCIRF, as well as the African Union and ECOWAS Commissions.
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