Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has alleged that Fulani militants have killed more Nigerians, especially Christians, than Boko Haram or ISIS over the past year. In a statement on Saturday, May 30, 2026, posted on his verified X handle, Moore described the development as “a horrific truth” that he and fellow Republican Congressman Mario Díaz‑Balart had earlier submitted in a classified joint report to President Donald Trump. His remarks were a reaction to the May 2026 report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which estimated that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria in groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters.
“The latest USCIRF report further details a horrific truth that Mario DB and I revealed in our report to President Donald Trump,” Moore wrote. “Fulani militants killed more people in Nigeria over the past year than Boko Haram or ISIS. Innocent Christians are bearing the brunt of this violent persecution.” He credited President Trump with recognising the urgency of protecting Nigerian Christians, noting that the administration had specifically addressed the threat in its counter‑terrorism strategy. “America is a Christian nation,” Moore added. “We must continue to stand with those who are persecuted for their faith and hold these terrorists accountable.”
The USCIRF report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants”, described the armed Fulani groups as some of the deadliest non‑state actors driving religious‑freedom violations in the country. It documented that attacks linked to Fulani militants accounted for the highest number of deaths among religious communities over the past year, surpassing casualties attributed to organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs. The report also noted that the militants often operate at night, using motorcycles, automatic weapons and machetes, and have displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt.
The latest data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), cited in the USCIRF findings, shows that between October 2019 and September 2024, Fulani Ethnic Militias (FEM) were responsible for about 47 per cent of all civilian killings in Nigeria – more than five times the combined death toll of Boko Haram and ISWAP, which together accounted for only about 11 per cent of civilian deaths. ORFA documented 36,056 civilians killed, 13,437 incidents of extreme violence, and over 29,180 abductions during that period, with up to 3.4 million people internally displaced, mostly from Nigeria’s Middle Belt. A separate ORFA report covering October 2019 to September 2023 indicated that the Fulani Ethnic Militia killed at least 42 per cent of all civilians, compared with 10 per cent for Boko Haram and ISWAP combined. The same report also found that about 2.7 Christians were killed for every Muslim, and that Christians were 1.4 times more likely to be abducted than Muslims.
Moore, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, has been a persistent critic of the Nigerian government’s handling of insecurity. He previously led a congressional fact‑finding delegation to Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where he visited internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Benue State and met with victims of what he described as “genocidal attacks” by Fulani radicals. In April 2026, he accused the Nigerian government of spending “millions lobbying Congress” while allegedly failing to confront violence against Christians. In May 2026, his House Appropriations Committee advanced provisions that would withhold up to 50 per cent of future US assistance to Nigeria unless the government takes effective steps to address religious‑based violence and hold perpetrators accountable.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected allegations of religious persecution, insisting that insecurity affects citizens across all faiths and is driven more by criminality, terrorism and communal clashes than by religion. However, the USCIRF report and Moore’s statement have added to a growing body of international assessments highlighting the scale of the threat posed by armed Fulani groups. The commission also noted that Nigerian security forces sometimes collude with Fulani militias in deadly attacks and mass abductions targeting religious communities, a claim the Nigerian government has denied.
The Federal Government has not yet issued an official response to Moore’s latest statement. However, the Nigerian military has continued its clearance operations in the North‑West and North‑Central zones, with the Defence Headquarters recently announcing the killing of hundreds of terrorists and the rescue of dozens of hostages. Whether Moore’s renewed accusations will translate into further legislative action in Washington remains to be seen, but the congressman has made it clear that he will continue to push for accountability. “We must hold these terrorists accountable,” he said. The statement has drawn a mix of support and criticism on social media, with some users applauding Moore’s attention to the crisis and others accusing him of using religious rhetoric to push a political agenda.
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