A report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has estimated that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, worsening insecurity and escalating violations of religious freedom.
The report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” was published in May 2026 and identified the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors operating across the Middle Belt and Southern parts of the country.
According to the commission, the militants operate in fragmented clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters and have carried out coordinated attacks resulting in thousands of deaths, mass displacement and heightened ethno-religious tensions.
The report stated that attacks linked to Fulani militants accounted for the highest number of deaths among religious communities in Nigeria within the past year, surpassing casualties attributed to insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
It added that although the groups lacked a centralised command structure, some factions frequently collaborated with wider criminal networks, including bandit groups and recognised terrorist organisations.
The commission noted that the militants often target vulnerable rural communities under the cover of darkness, using motorcycles, automatic weapons and machetes to attack residents and seize land.
According to the report, the violence has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the affected regions, with at least 1.3 million persons displaced across the Middle Belt.
It stated that many of the displaced persons were currently living in overcrowded camps lacking adequate security, food supply and sanitation facilities.
The report further noted that while Christian communities were frequently targeted, particularly during major religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter, Muslim communities had also suffered casualties, abductions and attacks.
It highlighted several incidents recorded over the past year, including a June 2025 attack in Benue State where at least 200 persons, including internally displaced persons sheltering at a Catholic mission, were reportedly killed.
The commission also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State in late 2025, where more than 200 Christians, mainly women and children, were reportedly killed and over 3,000 others displaced.
It added that in February 2026, suspected militants killed 32 persons in Niger State, while an attack on the Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State left three persons dead and 11 others abducted, including a parish priest.
The report also cited another February 2026 incident in Plateau State where gunmen abducted an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque and later demanded a ransom of N16 million.
The commission called for stronger security measures, improved humanitarian response and enhanced protection for vulnerable communities affected by the violence.
