ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – A new report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has revealed that an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, intensifying insecurity and worsening violations of religious freedom in several parts of the country.
The report, titled “Non-state Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants” and released in May 2026, described the armed groups as among the deadliest non-state actors behind violent attacks across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and parts of Southern Nigeria.
According to the commission, the militants operate in clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters and have carried out coordinated assaults that resulted in thousands of deaths, widespread displacement, and rising religious tensions.
USCIRF stated that attacks linked to Fulani militants accounted for the highest number of deaths among religious communities in Nigeria over the past year, surpassing casualties attributed to insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
The report noted that although many attacks targeted Christian communities, Muslims had also been victims of killings, kidnappings, and raids.
“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report stated.
The commission explained that while the militant groups lacked a unified command structure, some factions occasionally collaborated 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 said.
It added that while some Fulani militant groups acted independently, others coordinated with armed bandits seeking financial gain and terrorist organisations promoting violent extremist ideologies.
According to USCIRF, the militants frequently attack rural communities at night, using motorcycles, automatic weapons, and machetes to terrorise residents and force them off their 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 added.
The commission disclosed that attacks by Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, with many victims living in overcrowded camps lacking adequate sanitation and security.
The report highlighted several major attacks recorded in 2025 and early 2026, including deadly incidents in and .
It cited a June 2025 attack in Benue State in which at least 200 persons, including internally displaced persons sheltering in a Catholic mission, were reportedly killed.
USCIRF also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, where more than 200 Christians, mostly women and children, were allegedly killed while over 3,000 others were displaced.
According to the report, some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with Christian religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter in order to maximise psychological impact.
The commission further disclosed that in February 2026, suspected Fulani militants killed at least 32 persons in and attacked Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of , killing three persons and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
The report also documented attacks against Muslim worshippers. USCIRF stated that armed men abducted an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State in February 2026 and demanded a ransom of N16 million.
It added that Palm Sunday and Easter attacks 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 noted.
USCIRF observed that conflicting narratives surrounding the violence had complicated efforts to determine the precise motives behind the attacks.
While some analysts linked the crisis to environmental pressures, land disputes, and economic competition, others viewed the attacks as part of a broader campaign targeting non-Muslim communities.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals,” the commission stated.
The report also criticised the response of federal and state authorities, alleging that security agencies were often slow in responding to attacks.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” USCIRF stated.
It added that some Christian advocacy groups accused security operatives of bias toward Muslim communities during investigations and security operations.
However, the commission acknowledged ongoing efforts to address the crisis, noting that governors from 11 states launched an initiative in June 2025 to establish ranches for herders as part of measures aimed at reducing clashes over grazing routes and farmlands.
At the federal level, the report linked renewed government actions to the October 2025 decision by the United States government under President to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations.
According to USCIRF, President subsequently classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission also stated that Nigerian security agencies rescued 309 kidnapped victims during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, while 129 suspected Fulani militants were arrested and 55 others killed.
USCIRF further drew attention to the , which has faced criticism from some Christian leaders over alleged failure to curb militant activities and land invasions.
The association, however, denied involvement in criminality.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the association said, according to the report.
The commission disclosed that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against the association over alleged involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite ongoing military operations and peace-building efforts, USCIRF 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.
It added that the violence was likely to persist until federal and state authorities created conditions capable of guaranteeing the safe practice of religious freedom in affected communities.
