An estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are operating across Nigeria in groups of 10 to 1,000 members, according to a May 2026 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
The report said the militants are now among the deadliest non-state actors behind religious freedom violations in the country, with attacks spreading across the Middle Belt and Southern regions.
“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.
USCIRF said many attacks targeted Christian communities, though Muslims also suffered killings, kidnappings and raids. The groups reportedly attack rural communities at night using motorcycles, guns 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 said.
The commission said at least 1.3 million people have been displaced in the Middle Belt. It cited several deadly attacks in 2025 and early 2026, including killings in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Niger 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.
USCIRF also said Easter and Palm Sunday attacks in April 2026 left dozens dead, while kidnappings hit both churches and mosques.
The report accused authorities of weak responses, saying security forces were often slow to act. It added that despite recent crackdowns and peace efforts, insecurity remains widespread across central Nigeria.
