A new report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has alleged that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, intensifying insecurity and worsening 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,” described the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors responsible for religious freedom violations nationwide.
According to the commission, the militants operate in clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 members and have continued to launch deadly attacks across the Middle Belt and southern regions of the country.
The report stated that the attacks had left thousands dead, displaced communities and heightened tensions among religious groups.
“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 noted.
The commission alleged that many of the attacks targeted Christian communities, although Muslim communities had also suffered killings, kidnappings and raids.
It explained that while the militant groups lacked a central leadership structure, some were believed to collaborate with bandit groups and extremist organisations.
“These actors operate in different contexts and with varying motivations. While many Fulani militant groups carry out independent attacks, others sometimes coordinate with criminal gangs seeking financial gains and terrorist organisations promoting violent ideologies,” the report added.
According to USCIRF, the attackers frequently invade remote communities at night using motorcycles, automatic weapons and machetes to instil fear and force residents to abandon their lands.
The report further disclosed that attacks linked to Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, forcing many victims into overcrowded camps with poor sanitation and inadequate security.
USCIRF highlighted several violent incidents recorded in 2025 and early 2026, including mass killings in Benue and Plateau states.
The commission cited a June 2025 attack in Benue State where at least 200 persons, including internally displaced persons sheltering in a Catholic mission, were reportedly killed.
It also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue, where more than 200 Christians, mainly women and children, were allegedly killed while over 3,000 residents were displaced.
The report claimed that some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with Christian religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter to increase psychological trauma among victims.
“In February 2026, suspected Fulani militants reportedly killed at least 32 persons in Niger State and attacked Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three people and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye,” the report stated.
USCIRF also documented attacks on Muslim worshippers, including the abduction of an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State in February 2026, with kidnappers allegedly demanding a N16m ransom.
The commission further stated that Palm Sunday and Easter attacks in April 2026 claimed dozens of lives in Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states.
“On Easter Sunday, Fulani militants reportedly killed five worshippers in two churches in Kaduna State and abducted 31 others,” the report added.
USCIRF noted that differing narratives surrounding the violence had complicated efforts to determine the exact motivations behind the attacks.
While some analysts linked the violence to competition over land, environmental pressures and economic hardship, others viewed the attacks as targeted religious persecution against non-Muslims, particularly Christians.
The report criticised both federal and state governments for what it described as inadequate responses to the growing violence.
“Victims have consistently reported that security forces are often slow in responding to attacks on affected communities,” the commission stated.
The report also alleged that some Christian advocacy groups accused security agencies of bias in favour of Muslim communities during investigations and security operations.
USCIRF disclosed that governors from 11 states launched a ranching initiative in June 2025 to reduce conflicts between herders and farming communities 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 alleged religious freedom violations.
Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu reportedly classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission also stated that security operatives rescued 309 kidnapped victims during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, while 129 suspected militants were arrested and 55 others killed.
USCIRF further revealed that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria had come under increased scrutiny over allegations that it failed to prevent violent attacks and land invasions linked to some armed herders.
However, the association denied involvement in criminal activities.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the group reportedly stated.
The report added that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against MACBAN over alleged involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite recent security operations and peace initiatives, the commission warned that the violence remained widespread and persistent.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains trapped in an intense and recurring insecurity crisis,” the report concluded.