USCIRF Says 30,000 Fulani Militants Caused Nigeria’s Most Religious-Community Deaths
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 29
USCIRF Says 30,000 Fulani Militants Caused Nigeria’s Most Religious-Community Deaths
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 29
An estimated 30,000 Fulani militants are operating in Nigeria, and USCIRF said their violence caused the highest number of deaths among religious communities over the past year.
The report said the attackers have increasingly targeted Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt and South, burning homes and churches and carrying out kidnappings, rapes and killings, often around Christmas or Easter.
USCIRF also said Muslims have been attacked, but criticism of federal and state responses has described them as unsatisfactory at best and complicit at worst.
Sterling Tilley, a former State Department counterterrorism official, said U.S.-style strikes used against Boko Haram and Islamic State in Nigeria’s north would not work against Fulani militants and could deepen instability.
Nigeria heads into elections next year, and Tilley said Fulani political influence may be discouraging tougher action even as Christians—about 48% of the population—remain highly vulnerable.
With elections looming, is Nigeria’s government enabling militant violence to secure political power?
Is Nigeria's escalating violence a religious war or a brutal conflict over climate-ravaged land?
Can US military action solve a conflict that experts warn requires Nigerian political will?
Nigeria’s Deadliest Year: Fulani Militants Drive Record Religious Killings and Mass Displacement in 2025–2026
Overview
The May 2026 assessment highlights a persistent and severe crisis in Nigeria, driven by Fulani militants who consistently invade Christian farmers’ lands, raid both Christian and Muslim religious sites, and kidnap leaders and laity from both communities. The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom underscores the ongoing large-scale violence, despite Nigeria’s designation as a country of particular concern and ongoing security discussions. This escalating pattern of attacks has deepened instability, showing that current efforts have not curbed the violence or protected vulnerable communities.