The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has alleged that nearly 30,000 armed militants are operating across Nigeria, describing them as among the deadliest non-state actors responsible for religious freedom violations in the country.
In its May 2026 report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” the commission said the armed groups, operating in cells ranging from 10 to 1,000 members, have intensified insecurity across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and southern regions.
According to the report, the violence has left thousands dead, displaced entire communities, and deepened tensions among religious groups.
“Violence by militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report stated.
USCIRF said many of the attacks targeted Christian communities, although Muslim communities had also suffered raids, killings, and kidnappings.
While the groups lack a centralised command structure, the commission said some factions collaborate with criminal gangs and extremist organisations.
“These actors operate in a variety of contexts and with a multiplicity of likely aims and motivations,” the report noted.
“While many militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial gain to recognised terrorist organisations espousing violent interpretations of Islam.”
The commission said militants frequently target isolated rural communities, often launching night-time attacks using motorcycles, automatic weapons, and machetes.
“They often wield machetes and descend on vulnerable communities during the night, spreading terror to force residents to flee and secure greater control of desired land,” the report added.
USCIRF estimated that the violence has displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt, with many forced into overcrowded camps lacking adequate sanitation and security.
The report detailed several deadly attacks recorded in 2025 and early 2026, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
“One attack in Benue in June 2025 killed at least 200 people, including internally displaced persons sheltering in a Catholic mission,” the commission stated.
USCIRF also referenced the massacre in Yelwata, Benue State, where more than 200 Christians — “mostly sleeping women and children” — were reportedly killed, while over 3,000 others were displaced.
According to the commission, some attacks were deliberately timed to coincide with Christian religious celebrations.
“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter to maximise psychological impact,” the report said.
In February 2026, suspected militants reportedly killed at least 32 people in Niger State and attacked Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three people and abducting 11 others, including parish priest Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
The report also documented kidnappings targeting Muslim worshippers.
“In February 2026, armed men kidnapped an imam and seven worshippers from a mosque in Plateau State,” USCIRF stated, adding that the kidnappers demanded a N16m ransom.
Further attacks during Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations in April 2026 reportedly left dozens dead across Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue states.
“On Easter Sunday, militants reportedly killed five worshippers at two churches in Kaduna State while abducting 31 others,” the report added.
USCIRF said conflicting narratives surrounding the violence have complicated efforts to determine the motives behind the attacks.
“Some observers argue that environmental and economic pressures are driving the violence, while others believe the attacks amount to a coordinated campaign of genocide against non-Muslims, especially Christians,” the commission noted.
“In reality, multiple and overlapping factors — including religion in many cases — likely drive militants to attack communities and individuals.”
The commission criticised federal and state authorities for what it described as inadequate responses to the crisis.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the report stated.
USCIRF also said some Christian advocacy groups accused security agencies of favouring Muslim communities during investigations and security operations.
The report noted that governors from 11 states launched an initiative in June 2025 to establish ranches for herders in a bid to reduce clashes over grazing routes and farmland.
At the federal level, USCIRF linked renewed government action to the October 2025 decision by US President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom violations.
Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu reportedly classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission further stated that security forces rescued 309 hostages during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026, arresting 129 suspected militants and killing 55 others.
USCIRF also highlighted growing scrutiny of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), following allegations by Christian leaders that the group failed to prevent militant violence and land invasions.
However, the association denied supporting criminal activities.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism, or violence,” MACBAN said, according to the report.
Despite recent security measures and peace initiatives, USCIRF warned that the crisis remains widespread and persistent.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded, urging federal and state governments to “create broader conditions more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom.”
