A new report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has revealed that an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are operating across Nigeria, intensifying insecurity and contributing significantly to religious freedom violations nationwide.
The May 2026 report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” described the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors currently active in the country. According to the commission, the militants operate in cells ranging from 10 to 1,000 members and have carried out coordinated attacks across the Middle Belt and Southern regions.
The report stated that violence linked to Fulani militants caused more deaths among religious communities over the past year than attacks by insurgent groups and criminal gangs. Thousands of people were reportedly killed, while many communities were displaced amid growing tensions between religious groups.
Although the attacks largely targeted Christian communities, the commission noted that Muslim communities had also suffered killings, kidnappings and raids.
USCIRF explained that the militant groups do not operate under a central command structure, but some reportedly collaborate with bandit groups and extremist organisations.
“These actors operate in a variety of contexts and with a multiplicity of likely aims and motivations,” the report stated, adding that some groups coordinate with criminal gangs seeking financial gains and terrorist organisations promoting violent ideologies.
According to the report, the militants frequently launch night attacks on isolated rural settlements using motorcycles, automatic weapons and machetes to instill fear and force residents to abandon their lands.
The commission said attacks by Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, with many victims forced into overcrowded camps lacking proper sanitation and security.
The report highlighted several deadly incidents recorded in 2025 and early 2026, including mass killings in Benue State and Plateau State.
One attack in Benue in June 2025 reportedly left at least 200 people dead, including internally displaced persons sheltering in a Catholic mission. USCIRF also referenced the Yelwata massacre, where over 200 Christians, mostly women and children, were reportedly killed and more than 3,000 displaced.
The commission alleged that some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with Christian celebrations such as Christmas and Easter in order to increase psychological impact.
In another incident cited in the report, suspected Fulani militants allegedly killed at least 32 people in Niger State in February 2026. The attackers also reportedly targeted Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three worshippers and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
USCIRF further documented cases of kidnappings affecting both Christians and Muslims. In one case, armed men reportedly abducted an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State and demanded a ransom of N16 million.
The report said renewed attacks during Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations in April 2026 resulted in dozens of deaths across Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states. On Easter Sunday alone, five worshippers were reportedly killed in attacks on two churches in Kaduna State, while 31 others were abducted.
USCIRF noted that differing interpretations of the violence had complicated efforts to identify the root causes of the conflict. While some analysts blamed environmental pressures and economic competition over land and grazing routes, others viewed the violence as a coordinated campaign targeting non-Muslim communities.
The commission criticised federal and state authorities for what it described as slow and inadequate responses to attacks, noting that affected communities frequently accused security forces of delayed intervention.
The report also referenced efforts by governors from 11 Nigerian states who launched ranching initiatives in June 2025 aimed at reducing clashes between herders and farming communities.
At the federal level, the commission linked recent government actions to the October 2025 decision by then-US President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations.
Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu reportedly classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
USCIRF also stated that Nigerian security agencies rescued 309 hostages during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, arresting 129 suspected militants and killing 55 others.
The report further highlighted increasing scrutiny surrounding the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria. Christian groups have accused the organisation of failing to curb militant violence and land invasions, allegations the association denied.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the association stated, according to the report.
USCIRF noted that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against the association over allegations tied to severe religious freedom violations.
Despite recent security operations and peace efforts, the commission warned that central Nigeria remains trapped in what it described as a persistent and worsening security crisis.
