A new report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has raised fresh concerns over worsening insecurity and religious freedom violations in Nigeria
It revealed that an estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across the country in groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 members.
The report, published in May 2026 and titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” described the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors fueling violence across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and southern regions.
According to the commission, attacks carried out by armed actors of Fulani ethnic background intensified insecurity in several communities, leaving thousands dead, displacing residents and deepening tensions between religious groups.
“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.
