Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume says he is surprised by a bill in the US Congress that is proposing sanctions against the ex-Kano Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ndume described the development as out of place.
“I am surprised that Kwankwaso’s name was mentioned, and I want to know why and how he got mentioned.
“For them to mention just Kwankwaso, a former governor, something must be fishy somewhere. Perhaps there is intelligence and information available to others that some of us aren’t aware of.
“I don’t want to go too deeply into that, but in my view, the asset freezes and sanctions proposed by the UK, America, and other developed countries are misplaced,” he said.
THE WHISTLER reports that on Tuesday, five US lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress, seeking to sanction Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for alleged violations of religious freedom.
The proposed legislation, captioned “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” is being sponsored by Chris Smith, Riley Moore (bill author), Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga.
“The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, or report to Congress the reasons such sanctions have not been imposed, including— Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore,” part of the bill read.
The move comes months after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over the “killing” of Christians, a development the lawmakers said was justified.
But Ndume insisted that the US and other countries should go beyond the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
“If they want to help us, they should focus their attention on ‘People of Particular Concern’ rather than labeling the entire nation a ‘Country of Particular Concern,” Ndume, a former chief whip of the Senate, said on the programme.
“The majority of Nigerians are innocent people. But there are a few people who are holding Nigeria’s assets outside, and they [foreign powers] know, and up to now, there is no exposure [of such people].”
Meanwhile, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, led by Kwankwaso, has rejected the proposed legislation.
It said the inclusion of the former minister’s name is “unfounded” and “politically motivated,” asking for its immediate removal from the bill.
“We state unequivocally that these allegations are consistent with nothing in the verifiable public record of Senator Kwankwaso’s life and service,” its spokesperson Habibu Mohammed said in a statement.
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the platform under which Kwankwaso contested the 2023 presidential election, has also criticised the bill.
“How can anybody in their right senses put up a bill that is as important as talking about religion and terrorism and single out one individual in this country?” Folashade Aliu asked on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Despite the weighty allegations, the former Kano governor has yet to officially comment on the proposal as of the time of this report.
Turning to the security challenges in the country, Ndume has expressed support for the deployment of United States military forces to Nigeria to help address the country’s worsening insecurity.
He said many ordinary Nigerians, particularly those in conflict-affected communities, would welcome foreign assistance if it would guarantee peace and safety.
According to him, insecurity has deteriorated to a point where external support has become necessary, especially in the North-East region.
The lawmaker said that while concerns have been raised about the implications of establishing foreign military bases, the immediate priority should be restoring security.
“Yes. Let me get this clear. And as you see, that’s one of the major problems we have in the country, and especially in the political or the elite class.
“The poor man down there in my village will welcome the American police to his house as long as he will have peace, he will sleep with his two eyes closed.
“But here we are, when there is this offer, and people are saying, Oh, if they come, they set off a base. And they, I mean, all these things, is not something right now. Had it been that we have peace and we know that we can take care of ourselves, then you don’t need anybody.
“But if your house is on fire, even if it is your enemy that will give you water to quench the fire, you have to take the water first, quench the fire, then you go back to whatever position you have with that person.
“But when your house is on fire, I think it will be stupid, so to say, you say, Oh, I don’t want water from my neighbor. And while the fire is on your house, I don’t think so.
“We have found ourselves in a very bad situation, especially in the North East, and now it’s escalating, and it has gone to almost everywhere. We need that support.” he noted.
