An estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria in groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 members, according to a May 2026 report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The report identified the armed groups as among the deadliest non-state actors responsible for religious freedom violations in the country, with attacks intensifying insecurity across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Southern regions.

The report, titled Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants, stated that violence linked to armed actors of Fulani ethnic background had led to thousands of deaths, displacement of communities, and deepening tensions among religious groups.

“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.

According to USCIRF, while many attacks targeted Christian communities, Muslim communities had also experienced raids, killings, and kidnappings.

The commission noted that although the groups lack a central leadership structure, some 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 report stated.

“While many Fulani militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial enrichment to recognised terrorist organisations.”

USCIRF stated that the militants often attack isolated rural communities at night 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 achieve greater control of desired land,” the report added.

The report further revealed that violence by Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, with many victims now living in overcrowded camps facing poor sanitation and inadequate security.

USCIRF cited multiple incidents in 2025 and early 2026, including attacks in Benue and Plateau states.

“One attack in Benue in June 2025 killed at least 200 people, including internally displaced persons living in a Catholic mission,” the report stated.

The commission also referenced attacks in Yelwata, Benue State, where over 200 Christians were reportedly killed and more than 3,000 displaced.

The report claimed some attacks were timed around Christian religious celebrations.

“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximise the psychological impact,” it said.

USCIRF also criticised responses by authorities, alleging that security forces often arrive late during attacks.

“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the commission noted.

Despite recent security operations and peace initiatives, the report warned that violence remains widespread.

“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.

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The executive director of Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), Festus Adebayo, has sounded a sharp alarm, warning that increase in insecurity in several parts of Nigeria poses a serious threat to investment in its real estate sector.

According to him, the surge in kidnapping, banditry, and general lawlessness could severely undermine both housing development and investor confidence. emphasizing the fact that the deteriorating security situation is already prompting developers to withdraw from construction sites.

He argued that if the federal government fails to address these security woes swiftly, the real estate sector, presently a powerful engine of job creation and economic growth, may grind to a near halt.

Festus Adebayo stated, “We are of the view that with the perpetuation of the security challenges, the housing deficit of 22 million, may worsen as real estate investment may drop in some parts of the country”

In addition to security concerns, HDAN has previously attributed a decline in real estate development in the country over rising construction costs, driven by both violence and inflation of building materials. The net result, they argue, is a declining appetite for property investment, especially in areas where the risk of attack is high.

The group is calling for urgent, coordinated action, including stronger security deployment, but smarter policies, transparency, and accountability in housing delivery.

In their view, only a stable and secure environment will restore trust and encourage both developers and home seekers to remain active in the market. Without such interventions, the advocacy network fears the nation may see stalled projects, empty estates, and a worsening housing crisis, all because homes can not be built or occupied where people don’t feel safe.

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A coalition of Nigerians living in the United States has taken their campaign to Capitol Hill, accusing the Federal Government of consistently denying what they describe as a growing pattern of Christian killings, widespread human rights abuses, and state-enabled violence across Nigeria.

Determined to present what they called “the true situation on the ground,” the groups held a series of briefings with members of the US Congress before the arrival of a Nigerian government delegation scheduled to meet the same lawmakers.

Speaking in a video statement shared with our source, a coalition leader, Evans Nwankwo, said their mission was driven by the need to prevent what he described as “official misrepresentation” of Nigeria’s worsening security and humanitarian conditions.

“We are here to meet with lawmakers of the US to make sure that we tell them the real story of what is going on in Nigeria,” he said, stressing that the government’s public narrative does not reflect the experiences of communities under attack.

Dr. Sylvester Onyia, President of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), referenced President Bola Tinubu’s recent remark that “justice is not for sale,” insisting that the statement must extend to the judicial process involving IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

“That goes for the court— that it cannot be bought with money to deliver against Nnamdi Kanu,” he said. “We are watching. The world is watching. And we are in the capital.”

AVID’s Executive Director, Chukwuemeka Nwankwo, went further, accusing the Nigerian government of sponsoring and arming certain security groups who, he alleged, target young people while shifting the blame to innocent citizens.

He claimed that the government “sponsored the formation of ‘Ebube Agwu’ and another security outfit just to kill our youth and blame it on innocent people,” insisting that such actions were part of a broader attempt to criminalize Kanu and justify his prolonged detention.

Nwankwo also painted a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis unfolding across Nigeria, saying millions of displaced families are enduring severe hardship with little support from authorities.

“Over 10 million people are living in IDP camps and nobody is talking about it,” he said. “Nobody is talking about taking them back to their ancestral homes. All they care about is doing the wrong thing. They are the ones who need to repent— not terrorists.”

Adding his voice, US-based Catholic priest and Coordinator of Rising Sun, Rev. Fr. Augustine Odimmegwa, said the coalition’s visit to Washington became necessary to counter what he described as a misleading global narrative that downplays the scale of killings and displacement across Nigeria.

He noted that many international institutions rely heavily on government-supplied data, making it essential for the diaspora to present alternative evidence and testimonies from affected communities.

The coalition is expected to hold additional briefings with congressional committees, humanitarian organizations, and religious freedom monitors as they continue to push for international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security operations and human rights record.

Source: THE WHISTLER

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The recent robbery at student hostels near Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where armed men attacked and injured students and stole valuables, has again exposed a serious security gap in Nigerian higher institutions. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident but part of a worrying trend across universities nationwide.

From Rivers State University to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, students have faced robberies, assaults, and constant fear. Some now patrol their own lodges at night—evidence of a system failing to protect young Nigerians.

A major cause is inadequate hostel facilities on campuses. With universities like OAU, UNILAG, and UI struggling to house even half their student populations, thousands are forced into poorly secured off-campus areas with little lighting, no CCTV, and limited police presence.

To solve this, universities must partner with government and private developers to expand student housing and upgrade security infrastructure. Successful PPP projects, such as the 1,600-bed ABU hostel, show what is possible. Campuses need CCTV, strong lighting, trained security personnel, and organised patrols to protect students’ lives and property.

Students deserve safe accommodation not fear. Protecting them is not just a welfare duty but a national responsibility. A nation that fails to secure its learners jeopardises its future.

— Mohammed Yahaya, Mass Communication Department, University of Maiduguri

source: Dailytrust

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