Sharia, blasphemy laws: 12 northern governors, judges, emirs to face US sanctions

By our reporter 3.11.2025
A bill in the US Senate “The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025,” sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz and supported by US President Donald Trump, opens 12 northern Nigerian governors, senior judges, and traditional rulers to US sanctions.
Trump and his political allies have accused the Nigerian government of condoning systematic discrimination against Christians with the practice of the Sharia and blasphemy laws.
The bill if passed into law by the US Senate will ban the affected Nigerian public office holders from entering the USA, impose penalties, freeze asset of these officials who promote the sharia and blasphemy laws.
The affected States include Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger, and Gombe.
On Sunday Trump in a post in his Truth Social branded Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.” He ordered his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to act without delay, while also instructing his military to prepare for a possible attack on Islamic terrorists.
Under the bill, introduced on September 9, 2025, the US Secretary of State will, within 90 days of its passage, submit a report to Congress listing Nigerian officials, including governors, judges, and monarchs who have “promoted, enacted, or maintained blasphemy laws” or “tolerated violence by non-state actors invoking religious justification.”
In December 2020, the US Department of State designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for the first time ever due to what it termed systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, violent Boko Haram attacks, and frequent ethno-religious conflicts exacerbated by the judiciary system.
Cruz, while defending the bill, said Nigeria’s leadership had “institutionalised sharia law and enabled jihadist violence.”
“Religious persecution and violence against Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria is endemic.
“Since 2009, over 52,000 Christians have been murdered, 20,000 churches and faith institutions destroyed, and dozens of villages wiped out. The federal and state governments have failed to act, and in many cases, they are complicit.”