USCIRF says loosely coordinated groups behind mass killings, displacement of over 1.3 million people, and escalating religious tensions across Middle Belt and southern regions

An estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, significantly fuelling insecurity and religious freedom violations, according to a May 2026 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” described the groups as among the deadliest non-state actors in the country, with operational cells ranging from as few as 10 to as many as 1,000 fighters.

USCIRF said attacks linked to militants of Fulani ethnic background have intensified violence across the Middle Belt and parts of southern Nigeria, leaving thousands dead, displacing communities, and worsening tensions among religious groups.

“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year,” the report noted, adding that the scale of fatalities surpassed those caused by insurgent groups and criminal gangs.

While many attacks were reportedly targeted at Christian communities, the commission said Muslim communities have also suffered killings, kidnappings, and raids.

The report explained that although the groups lack a central command structure, some factions collaborate with criminal gangs and extremist organisations, combining ideological, economic, and territorial motives.

“These actors operate in a variety of contexts with multiple aims,” USCIRF stated. “Some wage independent attacks, while others coordinate with bandits seeking financial gain or terrorist groups promoting violent ideologies.”

Militants were said to frequently target rural communities, often striking at night using motorcycles and armed with automatic weapons and machetes to instil fear and force residents off their land.

The violence has triggered a major humanitarian crisis, with at least 1.3 million people displaced in the Middle Belt alone. Many victims now live in overcrowded camps with limited access to basic services and security.

The report highlighted several deadly incidents between 2025 and early 2026, including mass killings in Benue and Plateau states. In one June 2025 attack in Benue, at least 200 people were killed, including displaced persons sheltering in a Catholic mission.

Another attack in Yelwata, Benue State, reportedly left more than 200 people dead and displaced over 3,000 others.

USCIRF also noted a pattern of attacks timed around Christian religious holidays to heighten psychological impact. In April 2026, coordinated Palm Sunday and Easter attacks across Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue states left dozens dead.

In one Easter Sunday incident, five worshippers were killed in Kaduna State while 31 others were abducted from two churches.

Beyond churches, mosques have also been targeted. In February 2026, armed men abducted an imam and seven worshippers in Plateau State, demanding a N16 million ransom.

The report said differing narratives about the violence have complicated efforts to identify clear motives, with some attributing the conflict to environmental and economic pressures, while others allege a targeted campaign against non-Muslims.

USCIRF concluded that the violence is driven by overlapping factors, including religion, competition over land, and criminal opportunism.

The commission criticised Nigerian authorities for what it described as slow and inadequate responses to attacks, with victims frequently reporting delayed intervention by security forces.

It also noted allegations by some Christian groups accusing security agencies of bias in handling cases involving affected communities.

In response to the crisis, governors from 11 states launched a ranching initiative in 2025 to reduce clashes between herders and farmers. At the federal level, President Bola Tinubu designated violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.

Security operations have yielded some results, with 309 hostages rescued and 129 suspected militants arrested in early 2026 operations across Kogi and Kwara states.

The report also referenced growing scrutiny of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), which has denied allegations of supporting militant activities.

Meanwhile, the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, proposing sanctions against the group over alleged links to rights violations.

Despite these measures, USCIRF warned that Nigeria remains locked in a persistent and severe security crisis.

“Central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report stated, adding that lasting peace would depend on creating conditions that support the safe practice of religious freedom.