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, contributing significantly to rising insecurity, killings, kidnappings, and religious violence.
The report, released in May 2026 and titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” stated that the armed groups operate in clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 members and have become some of the deadliest non-state actors in the country.
According to the commission, attacks linked to armed actors of Fulani ethnic background have intensified across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and parts of the South, leaving thousands dead and displacing communities.
“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.
Christian, muslim communities affected
The report said many of the attacks targeted Christian communities, although Muslim communities have also suffered killings, kidnappings, and raids.
USCIRF explained that while the militant groups lack a central command structure, some 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 stated.
“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 noted that militants frequently launch night attacks on isolated rural communities using motorcycles, automatic weapons, and machetes.
“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.”
Mass killings, displacement and religious tensions
The commission disclosed that violence linked to Fulani militants and other armed groups has displaced at least 1.3 million people across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
It cited several deadly incidents between 2025 and early 2026, including attacks in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, and Kogi states.
One of the incidents referenced in the report was the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, where more than 200 Christians were reportedly killed and over 3,000 displaced.
The report further alleged that some attacks were deliberately timed around Christian religious celebrations such as Easter and Christmas to maximize fear and psychological impact.
“On Easter Sunday, Fulani militants reportedly killed five worshippers at two churches in Kaduna State while abducting 31 others.”
The commission also documented attacks affecting Muslim communities, including the kidnapping of an imam and worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State in February 2026.
Debate over causes of violence
USCIRF noted that conflicting interpretations of the crisis continue to complicate national responses.
According to the report, some analysts attribute the violence to environmental pressures, grazing conflicts, land disputes, and economic tensions, while others believe there are deeper religious motivations behind some attacks.
“Multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals.”
Criticism of security response
The report criticized Nigerian federal and state authorities over what it described as inadequate responses to attacks and delayed intervention by security agencies.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities.”
The commission also stated that some Christian advocacy groups accused security agencies of perceived bias during investigations and security operations.
USCIRF linked recent federal government actions to the October 2025 designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by US President Donald Trump over religious freedom concerns.
According to the report, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu subsequently classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The report also highlighted security operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, where authorities reportedly rescued 309 hostages, arrested 129 suspected militants, and killed 55 others.
MACBAN under scrutiny
The report further drew attention to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, which has faced allegations from some Christian groups over failure to curb violence linked to 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 association said, according to the report.
USCIRF added that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, proposing sanctions against MACBAN over allegations connected to severe religious freedom violations.
Insecurity crisis ‘likely to continue’
Despite recent security operations and peace initiatives, the commission warned that Nigeria’s insecurity crisis remains deeply entrenched.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
The commission stressed that lasting peace would depend on broader reforms capable of improving security, governance, justice, and religious freedom protections nationwide.
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