30,000 armed Fulani militants increase insecurity in Nigeria, says U.S. government.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, USCIRF, has revealed that no fewer than 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently active across Nigeria.

The USCIRF’s report, titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” states that these armed Fulani groups are worsening insecurity and violating religious freedom in several parts of the country.

Released in May 2026, the report describes the armed groups as some of the deadliest non‑state actors responsible for violent attacks throughout the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria.

The USCIRF notes that the militants operate in clusters ranging from 10 to 1,000 fighters, carrying out coordinated assaults that have caused thousands of deaths, mass displacement, and heightened religious tensions.

According to the Commission, attacks linked to Fulani militants accounted for the highest number of deaths among religious communities in Nigeria over the past year, surpassing casualties attributed to organized insurgent groups and criminal gangs.

It points out that while many attacks targeted Christian communities, Muslim communities have also suffered killings, kidnappings, and raids.

“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year compared to attacks by organized insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report states.

The commission notes that although the groups lack a central leadership structure, some factions occasionally collaborate with bandit networks and extremist organizations.

“These actors operate in a variety of contexts and with a multiplicity of likely aims and motivations. While many Fulani militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial enrichment to recognized terrorist organizations that espouse violent interpretations of Islam,” it added.