A new report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has estimated that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are operating across Nigeria, warning that their activities are significantly worsening insecurity and religious tensions in several parts of the country.
The report, released in May 2026 and titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” said the armed groups operate in clusters ranging from as few as 10 members to as many as 1,000.
According to the commission, the militants have emerged as one of the deadliest non-state actors responsible for attacks that have left thousands dead, displaced communities, and deepened religious divisions, particularly in the Middle Belt and southern regions.
“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 report alleged that many of the attacks targeted Christian communities, although Muslim communities were also affected by raids, killings, and kidnappings.
USCIRF noted that while the groups do not operate under a single central leadership, some of them 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 commission 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 report further stated that attacks are often carried out in rural communities at night, with militants using motorcycles, firearms, and machetes to overwhelm victims.
“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.
USCIRF said such attacks had displaced at least 1.3 million people in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, forcing many into overcrowded camps with poor living conditions.
The commission cited several violent incidents, including a June 2025 attack in Benue State that reportedly killed at least 200 people, including internally displaced persons in a Catholic mission.
It also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, where more than 200 people were allegedly killed and over 3,000 displaced.
According to the report, some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with Christian religious festivals to maximise psychological impact.
“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximise the psychological impact,” it stated.
The commission also reported attacks in early 2026, including the killing of at least 32 people in Niger State and an assault on Holy Trinity Parish in Kaduna State, where three people were killed and 11 others abducted, including a Catholic priest.
In another incident cited, armed men reportedly kidnapped an imam and seven worshippers in Plateau State, demanding a ransom of N16 million.
USCIRF also said coordinated attacks during Easter 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.
The commission noted that analysts remain divided on the drivers of the violence, with some pointing to environmental and economic pressures, while others argue that religious motivations play a significant role.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals,” it said.
The report criticised Nigerian authorities for what it described as weak and slow responses to attacks, claiming that affected communities often complain of delayed intervention by security forces.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” USCIRF stated.
It also alleged that some groups had accused security agencies of bias in handling investigations, a claim authorities have repeatedly denied.
The report further mentioned efforts by 11 state governors to establish ranching systems in 2025 as part of attempts to reduce farmer-herder conflicts.
At the federal level, it linked recent government actions to international pressure following the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2025.
The report said President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared kidnappers and armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
It also noted that security forces rescued 309 hostages in Kogi and Kwara States in January 2026, arresting 129 suspects and killing 55 others.
The commission also referenced concerns surrounding the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, which some groups have accused of failing to curb violence linked to armed herders, although the association has denied any involvement in criminal activity.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” MACBAN said, according to the report.
Despite ongoing security operations, USCIRF warned that violence remains widespread, describing central Nigeria as being trapped in a persistent insecurity crisis.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the commission concluded, adding that lasting peace would require stronger governance and improved conditions for religious freedom.
