A United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report has revealed that an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, significantly worsening nationwide insecurity and driving severe religious freedom violations.
Report Details
The startling figures were published in a May 2026 report titled "Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants." The document identifies these armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors operating across the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria.
According to the commission, these militants operate in fractured clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters. Their coordinated assaults have resulted in thousands of deaths, mass displacement, and heightened ethno-religious tensions.
Violence and Impact
The USCIRF report notes 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 established insurgent groups and criminal syndicates.
Even though they lack a centralized leadership structure, certain factions frequently collaborate with wider criminal networks. Factions periodically coordinate with conventional bandit gangs for financial gain, as well as recognized terrorist organizations.
The militants primarily target vulnerable rural communities under the cover of darkness, utilizing motorcycles, automatic weapons, and machetes to displace residents and seize land.
Humanitarian Crisis
The ongoing violence has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis across the region. At least 1.3 million people have been displaced across the Middle Belt, with many survivors now living in overcrowded internally displaced persons (IDP) camps lacking basic security, food, and sanitation.
While Christian communities are frequently targeted, often during high-profile religious holidays like Christmas or Easter to maximize psychological impact, the report emphasizes that Muslim communities have also suffered severe casualties, kidnappings, and raids.
Documented Attacks
The USCIRF report documented several high-casualty offenses spanning the last year:
- June 2025 (Benue State): An assault claimed the lives of at least 200 individuals, including IDPs seeking shelter at a Catholic mission.
- Late 2025 (Yelwata, Benue State): The Yelwata massacre resulted in the deaths of over 200 Christians, predominantly women and children, displacing an additional 3,000 residents.
- February 2026 (Niger & Kaduna States): Suspected militants killed 32 people in Niger State. In Kaduna State, an attack on the Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese left three dead and resulted in the abduction of 11 people, including the parish priest.
- February 2026 (Plateau State): Highlighting that the violence is not exclusive to one faith, gunmen abducted an imam and seven worshippers from a local mosque, later demanding a ₦16 million ransom.
