A new report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has revealed that an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, intensifying insecurity and contributing significantly to religious violence in several parts of the country.
The report, released in May 2026 and titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” described the armed groups as among the deadliest non-state actors fueling attacks, displacement and religious tensions, particularly across the Middle Belt and parts of Southern Nigeria.
According to the commission, the militants operate in cells ranging from small groups of about 10 fighters to larger formations numbering up to 1,000 members.
“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year as compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report stated.
The commission noted that although many of the attacks primarily targeted Christian communities, Muslim populations had also suffered raids, killings and kidnappings linked to the armed groups.
USCIRF explained that the militant factions do not operate under a unified command structure, but in some cases collaborate with criminal gangs and extremist organisations pursuing both ideological and economic objectives.
“These actors operate in a variety of contexts and with a multiplicity of likely aims and motivations.
“While many Fulani militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of other actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial enrichment to recognised terrorist organisations that espouse a violent interpretation of Islam.”
The report stated that the militants frequently launch attacks on isolated rural settlements using motorcycles, assault rifles and machetes, often carrying out operations at night to maximise fear and displacement.
“They often wield machetes and descend on vulnerable communities during the night, eliciting terror as a way to force victims to quickly leave and to achieve greater control of desired land,” the report said.
According to the commission, violence linked to Fulani militants and similar armed groups has displaced no fewer than 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, forcing many victims into overcrowded camps lacking adequate security and sanitation.
The report highlighted several major attacks recorded in 2025 and early 2026, including deadly assaults in Benue and Plateau states.
“One attack in Benue in June 2025 killed at least 200 people, including internally displaced persons living in a Catholic mission,” the report said.
USCIRF also referenced the killings in Yelwata, Benue State, where more than 200 Christians were reportedly massacred in 2025.
The report described the victims as “mostly sleeping women and children,” while noting that over 3,000 residents were displaced during the attack.
The commission further alleged that some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with major Christian religious celebrations.
“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximise the psychological impact,” the report stated.
It added that suspected Fulani militants allegedly killed at least 32 persons in Niger State in February 2026 and also attacked Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three persons and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
The report also documented attacks on Muslim worshippers and religious leaders.
“In February 2026, armed men kidnapped an imam and seven worshipers from a mosque in Plateau,” USCIRF stated, adding that the abductors demanded a ransom of N16m.
According to the commission, further violence recorded during Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations in April 2026 left dozens dead across Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states.
“On Easter Sunday, Fulani militants reportedly killed five worshippers at two churches in Kaduna State while abducting 31 others,” the report stated.
USCIRF acknowledged that debates over the root causes of the violence have continued to complicate national and international responses to the crisis.
“Some observers have argued that environmental and economic factors are the driving force behind Fulani militants’ acts of violence, while others have suggested that these actors are engaged in a concerted campaign of outright genocide against non-Muslims, especially Christians.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals.”
The report criticised both federal and state authorities over what it described as slow and inadequate responses to attacks on vulnerable communities.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the commission stated.
USCIRF also noted allegations by some Christian groups accusing security agencies of bias in favour of Muslim communities during investigations and security operations.
The commission disclosed that governors from 11 states launched an initiative in June 2025 to establish ranching systems for herders as part of efforts to reduce violent clashes over grazing routes and farmland.
At the federal level, the report linked renewed government actions to the October 2025 decision by former US President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over violations of religious freedom.
According to the report, President Bola Tinubu subsequently classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
USCIRF further revealed that security agencies rescued 309 kidnap victims during operations conducted in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, while 129 suspected Fulani militants were arrested and 55 others killed.
The report also referenced increasing scrutiny surrounding the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, which has faced accusations from some Christian leaders over alleged failure to curb militant violence and land invasions.
Responding to the allegations, the association denied supporting any form of criminality.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the association said, according to the report.
USCIRF additionally disclosed that the United States Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against MACBAN over allegations tied to severe religious freedom violations.
Despite ongoing military operations and peace initiatives, the commission warned that insecurity remained deeply entrenched across central Nigeria.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
The commission added that the violence may persist “until the federal and several state governments create broader underlying conditions that are more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom.”
