U.S. Sanctions Loom: 12 Northern Governors Face Financial Freeze, Travel Ban And Worse

By Mohammed Bello Doka

Abuja Network News

The United States Congress has set the stage for what may become one of the most consequential foreign policy actions against Nigerian public officials in recent history, as a new bill—the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025—moves closer to passage in Washington.

If passed, the legislation will empower the U.S. Secretary of State to publish a list of Nigerian state governors, judges, and public officials accused of promoting or maintaining religious persecution through blasphemy laws or by tolerating religiously motivated violence. The measure specifically mentions twelve northern states as jurisdictions under scrutiny, potentially placing their current or former governors in the crosshairs of severe international sanctions.

The bill, introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, invokes the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, under which designated individuals can face asset freezes, visa bans, and extensive financial restrictions. Once listed, the governors would lose access to any U.S.-based assets, bank accounts, or investments. Their travel privileges to the United States would be revoked, and their names could automatically be mirrored on allied sanctions lists in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union.

According to available reports, the affected states include Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger, and Gombe—all located in Northern Nigeria. The governors of these states are being reviewed for alleged human rights violations linked to blasphemy laws and their enforcement, which the U.S. government and several advocacy groups have long described as instruments of oppression and violations of international religious freedom.

If enacted, the law would mandate the U.S. Secretary of State to publish a report naming individuals responsible for such abuses within 90 days of the bill’s approval. Those named would face an immediate financial freeze, travel ban, and potential asset confiscation if their holdings are connected to human rights violations or money laundering.

The sanctions, though personal, could have broader political and diplomatic consequences. Nigeria’s federal government has already condemned the proposed bill, insisting that the nation’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that religiously motivated violence in the country is largely driven by criminal and extremist elements, not state policies.

Nevertheless, the move signals a serious diplomatic challenge. Should the sanctions be implemented, the governors may find themselves cut off from the global financial system, unable to conduct U.S. dollar–based transactions, purchase property abroad, or engage with international partners.

Experts warn that the sanctions could also trigger local investigations by Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies, given that the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will make all designations public. The ripple effect, analysts believe, could reshape northern Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While the identities of the specific governors have not yet been released, the direction of the proposed law is clear: Washington is signaling that impunity and religious persecution will no longer be tolerated, regardless of political status or position.

For now, the world watches as the bill advances through the U.S. legislative process, with Nigerian officials scrambling to avert the diplomatic storm that may soon arrive — one carrying financial ruin, travel bans, and worse.