The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has accused the Nigerian federal and state governments of tolerating religious violence and failing to adequately investigate or prosecute perpetrators responsible for attacks across the country.
In its 2026 annual report, the commission said religious freedom conditions in Nigeria “remained abysmal” throughout 2025, alleging that authorities “continued to tolerate, inadequately respond to or investigate, or otherwise fail to pursue justice for religious violence by non-state actors.”
The report stated that several armed groups continued to target communities while attempting to impose “a singular interpretation of Islam on individuals and communities in their areas of operation, regardless of these individuals’ or communities’ own religion or belief.”
According to USCIRF, the groups included “Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS, also known as Boko Haram), Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Islamic State-Sahel Province (ISSP).”
The commission listed multiple violent incidents recorded during the year. It noted that in January, “JAS assailants burned down a church auditorium, killing several people,” while Mahmuda, described as “a new faction of JAS,” allegedly “killed four Fulanis in April in Kwara.”
