Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has for the first time produced an estimate of the number of armed Fulani militants operating across Nigeria. In a report titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants” and dated May 2026, the Commission said an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently active in the country, operating in dispersed clusters ranging from small units of about 10 fighters to larger formations of up to 1,000 members.
The report, which covered attacks recorded mainly between 2025 and early 2026, said the groups have become “some of the most visible and deadly non‑state actors” linked to religious‑freedom violations in Nigeria. It noted that violence associated with Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the past year, compared with attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs. It also stated that although the groups lack a centralised command structure, some of them periodically collaborate with conventional bandit gangs and, in certain cases, with recognised terrorist organisations that espouse a violent interpretation of Islam.
The Commission described the militants’ typical mode of operation as night‑time raids on isolated rural communities, often 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,” the report stated. It estimated that at least 1.3 million people have been displaced in the Middle Belt as a result of sustained attacks involving armed Fulani groups and other violent actors.
The report cited several specific incidents, including a 2025 attack in Benue State where more than 200 people were reportedly killed at a Catholic mission housing internally displaced persons; the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State, in which more than 200 Christians, “mostly sleeping women and children,” were reportedly killed and over 3,000 people displaced; an attack in Niger State in February 2026 that reportedly killed at least 32 people; the attack on Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, which left three people dead and 11 others abducted, including the parish priest, Father Nathaniel Asuwaye; and the kidnapping of an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State in February 2026, with the abductors demanding ₦16 million in ransom. It added that militants have often timed operations to coincide with major Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter to maximise the psychological impact, and that Palm Sunday and Easter attacks in April 2026 left dozens dead in Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states.
On the security response, the Commission acknowledged recent government actions, including intensified military operations and the designation of violent armed groups as terrorist organisations in late 2025. It noted that security forces have carried out rescue operations that freed hundreds of hostages, while several suspects were arrested or neutralised. However, it warned that the security response remains inconsistent, with victims often reporting delays in intervention during attacks, and that insecurity in central Nigeria remains severe and persistent, with many communities still vulnerable to repeated attacks. It concluded that lasting progress will depend on stronger security coordination, improved governance, and sustained efforts to address the root causes of rural violence and displacement.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected allegations of religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity in Nigeria affects citizens across all faiths and is driven more by criminality, terrorism and communal clashes than by religion. However, the USCIRF report adds to a growing body of international assessments that highlight the scale and complexity of the armed Fulani militant threat, and it is likely to intensify calls for a more targeted and accountable security strategy in the affected regions.
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