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.
