A May 2026 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) estimates that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants operate across Nigeria in groups of 10 to 1,000 members, worsening insecurity and religious tensions.
Titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” the report said the group has become a major driver of vi%lence in the Middle Belt and southern regions, leading to d+aths and displacement.
“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of de+ths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year as compared to att@cks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” it stated.
USCIRF noted that attacks have affected both Christians and Muslims, with militants sometimes acting independently or alongside criminal gangs and extremist groups.
“While many Fulani militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of other actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial enrichment to recognised terrorist organisations that espouse a violent interpretation of Islam.”
The report said attackers often strike rural communities at night using motorcycles and weapons.
“They often wield mach+tes 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 commission also criticised slow security responses, stating that central Nigeria remains in a “seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity.”
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