The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has raised fresh concerns over the growing insecurity in Nigeria, revealing that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across different parts of the country.
In its May 2026 report titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” the commission described the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors fueling violence and religious freedom violations in Nigeria.
According to the report, the militants operate in clusters ranging from small bands of about 10 fighters to larger groups with as many as 1,000 members. The commission said the activities of the armed groups have worsened insecurity, especially in the Middle Belt and parts of Southern Nigeria.
The report stated that attacks linked to the militants led to more deaths in the last year than those carried out by insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
“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 targeted Christian communities, Muslims had also suffered killings, kidnappings and raids.
USCIRF explained that the armed groups do not operate under a single command structure. However, some factions reportedly collaborate with criminal gangs and extremist organisations.
“These actors operate in a variety of contexts and with a multiplicity of likely aims and motivations,” the report said.
“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 commission said the attackers often invade rural communities at night using motorcycles, assault rifles and machetes. It added that the strategy was designed to create fear and force residents to flee their ancestral lands.
“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 stated.
The report further revealed that attacks carried out by Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt. Many victims, it said, now live in overcrowded camps with poor sanitation and inadequate security.
USCIRF highlighted several deadly attacks recorded in 2025 and early 2026, particularly 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 stated.
The commission also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State where more than 200 Christians, mostly women and children, were reportedly killed, while over 3,000 residents were displaced.
According to the report, some attacks were deliberately carried out during Christian celebrations to heighten fear and psychological trauma among victims.
“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximise the psychological impact,” USCIRF said.
The report added that suspected Fulani militants killed at least 32 people in Niger State in February 2026. The attackers also reportedly invaded Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three persons and abducting 11 others, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
USCIRF also documented attacks on Muslim worshippers.
“In February 2026, armed men kidnapped an imam and seven worshipers from a mosque in Plateau,” the report stated, noting that the abductors demanded N16 million ransom.
The commission said Palm Sunday and Easter attacks in April 2026 left dozens dead in 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 added.
USCIRF noted that debates over the root causes of the violence had continued for years, with some analysts blaming environmental pressures and economic struggles, while others viewed the attacks as religiously motivated.
“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,” the report stated.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals.”
The commission criticised the response of both federal and state authorities, saying many communities complained that security agencies often arrived late after attacks had already occurred.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the report stated.
It also said some Christian groups accused security agencies of bias during investigations and security operations involving affected communities.
According to USCIRF, governors from 11 Nigerian states launched a ranching initiative in June 2025 aimed at reducing clashes between farmers and herders over grazing routes and farmland.
At the federal level, the report linked recent government actions to the decision of former US President Donald Trump in October 2025 to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over violations of religious freedom.
Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu reportedly classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission said Nigerian security forces rescued 309 hostages during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026. During the raids, 129 suspected Fulani militants were arrested while 55 others were killed.
The report also drew attention to growing scrutiny surrounding the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
Christian leaders had accused the organisation of failing to prevent violent attacks and land invasions allegedly linked to armed herders. However, the association denied supporting criminal activities.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the group said.
USCIRF disclosed that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February. The proposed legislation seeks sanctions against the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association over allegations of involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite recent military operations and peace efforts, the commission warned that insecurity remained widespread across central Nigeria.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
