US Report: 30,000 Fulani Militants Drive Deadly Violence Across Nigeria

A US commission has estimated that around 30,000 armed Fulani militants operate across Nigeria in cells of 10 to 1,000 fighters. Their actions rank among the deadliest non-state threats to religious freedom, with attacks intensifying insecurity in the Middle Belt and southern regions. The report documents mass killings, night raids on rural communities, and targeted assaults on Christian and Muslim settlements. In one incident in Benue State in June 2025, at least 200 people—including displaced persons at a Catholic mission—were killed. Militants often employ motorcycles, automatics and machetes to force villagers from their lands. Displacement from these attacks has surpassed 1.3 million people, many now living in overcrowded camps without adequate security or sanitation. The commission warns that violence is likely to persist without stronger federal and state measures to protect vulnerable communities and uphold religious freedom.

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