A new report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has estimated that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are operating across Nigeria, describing them as among the deadliest non-state actors responsible for religious freedom violations in 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 cells ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters and have intensified violence across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and parts of the South.
According to the commission, attacks linked to the militants resulted in more deaths over the past year than those attributed to 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.
USCIRF said Christian communities were frequently targeted in attacks, although Muslim communities had also suffered killings, kidnappings, and raids.
The report noted that while the militant groups lack a unified command structure, some factions 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 commission stated that many attacks are carried out on isolated rural communities, often at night, with assailants arriving on motorcycles and armed with 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,” the report added.
USCIRF estimated that violence involving Fulani militants and other armed groups has displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, forcing many victims into overcrowded camps with poor sanitation and inadequate security.
The report documented several deadly incidents recorded in 2025 and early 2026, including attacks in Benue and Plateau states.
One attack in Benue State in June 2025 reportedly killed at least 200 people, including internally displaced persons sheltering at a Catholic mission.
The commission also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, where more than 200 Christians, “mostly sleeping women and children,” were reportedly 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 to maximise psychological impact.
USCIRF further stated that in February 2026, suspected Fulani militants killed at least 32 persons in Niger State and attacked Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three persons and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
The commission also documented kidnappings targeting both Christian and Muslim worshippers.
“In February 2026, armed men kidnapped an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau,” the report stated, adding that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N16 million.
The report said attacks carried out during Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations 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,” USCIRF stated.
The commission acknowledged that differing interpretations of the violence have complicated efforts to establish clear motivations behind the attacks.
“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 noted.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals.”
USCIRF criticised both federal and state authorities for what it described as inadequate responses to the crisis, noting persistent complaints from affected communities about delayed security intervention.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the commission said.
The report also stated that some Christian advocacy groups accused security agencies of bias in favour of Muslim communities during investigations and security operations.
As part of efforts to reduce farmer-herder clashes, the report noted that governors from 11 states launched an initiative in June 2025 to establish ranching systems for herders.
At the federal level, USCIRF linked renewed government action to the October 2025 decision by former US President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations.
According to the report, President Bola Tinubu subsequently classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission added that security forces rescued 309 hostages during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, while 129 suspected Fulani militants were arrested and 55 others killed.
USCIRF also highlighted increasing scrutiny of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), which has faced allegations from some Christian groups of failing to prevent militant violence and land invasions.
However, the association denied supporting criminal activities.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” MACBAN said, according to the report.
The commission further noted that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against MACBAN over allegations of involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite ongoing security operations and peace-building initiatives, USCIRF warned that insecurity in central Nigeria remains severe.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
The commission added that the violence is likely to persist “until the federal and several state governments create broader underlying conditions that are more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom.”Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as “terrorists” in December 2025, the commission stated.
The report said the security agencies rescued 309 hostages in January 2026 during operations in Kogi and Kwara states, arresting 129 suspected Fulani militants and killing 55 others.
USCIRF also highlighted growing scrutiny of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
The organisation has faced allegations from Christian leaders that it failed to stop militant violence and land invasions. However, MACBAN denied supporting criminal activity.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the association said, according to the report.
USCIRF said the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February, proposing sanctions against MACBAN over allegations of involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite recent security measures and peace initiatives, the commission warned that violence remained widespread.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
The commission added that the crisis was likely to continue “until the federal and several state governments create broader underlying conditions that are more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom.”
