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US Report Indicates 30,000 Armed Fulani Militants Behind Insecurity in Nigeria
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The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has raised fresh concerns over the growing insecurity in Nigeria, revealing that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across different parts of the country.
In its May 2026 report titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants,” the commission described the armed groups as some of the deadliest non-state actors fueling violence and religious freedom violations in Nigeria.
According to the report, the militants operate in clusters ranging from small bands of about 10 fighters to larger groups with as many as 1,000 members. The commission said the activities of the armed groups have worsened insecurity, especially in the Middle Belt and parts of Southern Nigeria.
The report stated that attacks linked to the militants led to more deaths in the last year than those carried out by insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
“Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year as compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report stated.
The commission noted that although many of the attacks targeted Christian communities, Muslims had also suffered killings, kidnappings and raids.
USCIRF explained that the armed groups do not operate under a single command structure. However, some factions reportedly 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 said.
“While many Fulani militant groups wage independent attacks, others periodically coordinate with a wide range of other actors, from conventional bandit gangs seeking financial enrichment to recognised terrorist organisations that espouse a violent interpretation of Islam.”
The commission said the attackers often invade rural communities at night using motorcycles, assault rifles and machetes. It added that the strategy was designed to create fear and force residents to flee their ancestral lands.
“They often wield machetes and descend on vulnerable communities during the night, eliciting terror as a way to force victims to quickly leave and to achieve greater control of desired land,” the report stated.
The report further revealed that attacks carried out by Fulani militants and other armed groups had displaced at least 1.3 million people across the Middle Belt. Many victims, it said, now live in overcrowded camps with poor sanitation and inadequate security.
USCIRF highlighted 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 living in a Catholic mission,” the report stated.
The commission also referenced the Yelwata massacre in Benue State where more than 200 Christians, mostly women and children, were reportedly killed, while over 3,000 residents were displaced.
According to the report, some attacks were deliberately carried out during Christian celebrations to heighten fear and psychological trauma among victims.
“Militant actors have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximise the psychological impact,” USCIRF said.
The report added that suspected Fulani militants killed at least 32 people in Niger State in February 2026. The attackers also reportedly invaded Holy Trinity Parish in the Kafanchan Diocese of Kaduna State, killing three persons and abducting 11 others, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye.
USCIRF also documented attacks on Muslim worshippers.
“In February 2026, armed men kidnapped an imam and seven worshipers from a mosque in Plateau,” the report stated, noting that the abductors demanded N16 million ransom.
The commission said Palm Sunday and Easter attacks in April 2026 left dozens dead in Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states.
“On Easter Sunday, Fulani militants reportedly killed five worshippers at two churches in Kaduna State while abducting 31 others,” the report added.
USCIRF noted that debates over the root causes of the violence had continued for years, with some analysts blaming environmental pressures and economic struggles, while others viewed the attacks as religiously motivated.
“Some observers have argued that environmental and economic factors are the driving force behind Fulani militants’ acts of violence, while others have suggested that these actors are engaged in a concerted campaign of outright genocide against non-Muslims, especially Christians,” the report stated.
“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals.”
The commission criticised the response of both federal and state authorities, saying many communities complained that security agencies often arrived late after attacks had already occurred.
“Victims have long reported that security forces are consistently slow to respond to attacks on their communities,” the report stated.
It also said some Christian groups accused security agencies of bias during investigations and security operations involving affected communities.
According to USCIRF, governors from 11 Nigerian states launched a ranching initiative in June 2025 aimed at reducing clashes between farmers and herders over grazing routes and farmland.
At the federal level, the report linked recent government actions to the decision of former US President Donald Trump in October 2025 to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over violations of religious freedom.
Following the designation, President Bola Tinubu reportedly classified kidnappers and violent armed groups, including Fulani militants, as terrorists in December 2025.
The commission said Nigerian security forces rescued 309 hostages during operations in Kogi and Kwara states in January 2026. During the raids, 129 suspected Fulani militants were arrested while 55 others were killed.
The report also drew attention to growing scrutiny surrounding the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
Christian leaders had accused the organisation of failing to prevent violent attacks and land invasions allegedly linked to armed herders. However, the association denied supporting criminal activities.
“We do not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence,” the group said.
USCIRF disclosed that the US Congress introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 in February. The proposed legislation seeks sanctions against the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association over allegations of involvement in severe religious freedom violations.
Despite recent military operations and peace efforts, the commission warned that insecurity remained widespread across central Nigeria.
“As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity,” the report concluded.
News
Trafficked Nigerian Girl D!es In Mali
A Nigerian girl identified simply as Ngufan, who was reportedly trafficked to the West African nation of Mali, has tragically died under circumstances that remain unclear.

The development was disclosed by anti-human trafficking campaigner Zege Orkwande, who has become known for facilitating the rescue and repatriation of young Nigerian women trafficked to several African countries for prostitution and other forms of exploitation.
In a post shared on Facebook on Sunday, June 21, 2026, Orkwande announced the death of the young woman and appealed to members of the public to assist in identifying and locating her relatives.
According to the activist, details surrounding Ngufan’s death are still unknown, and efforts are ongoing to gather more information about what led to the tragedy.

The announcement has sparked concern among anti-trafficking advocates and members of the public, particularly amid growing reports of young Nigerian women being lured abroad with promises of employment and better opportunities, only to end up trapped in exploitative conditions.
Orkwande urged anyone who may know the deceased or have information about her family to come forward to aid identification and ensure that her relatives are informed.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers associated with human trafficking networks operating across parts of Africa, as well as the challenges faced by victims who find themselves stranded far from home without adequate support or protection.
Authorities have yet to release further details regarding the circumstances of Ngufan’s death, while calls continue for intensified efforts to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable young people from falling prey to traffickers.
News
Just in: Finally, Starmer resigns as UK PM
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday formally announced his resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, ending a turbulent tenure marked by mounting internal rebellion, ministerial resignations and growing doubts about his ability to lead Labour into the next general election.
Standing outside 10 Downing Street, an emotional Starmer acknowledged that he had lost the confidence of key figures within his party and accepted that Labour no longer viewed him as the best person to lead it into the next election.
“I accept with good grace that my party no longer believes I am the best person to lead them into the next general election,” Starmer said in his resignation address.
He pledged to remain in office until a successor is chosen, promising what he described as an “orderly transfer of power” to ensure political stability in the United Kingdom.
The resignation marks the culmination of weeks of escalating political turmoil within Labour. Senior ministers, parliamentary aides and dozens of MPs had publicly questioned Starmer’s leadership following devastating local election losses that saw the party lose significant ground across England, Scotland and Wales.
Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, whose resignation intensified the crisis, accused the Prime Minister of lacking direction at a critical moment for the country.
“Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift,” Streeting wrote in a scathing resignation letter that became a rallying point for Labour critics.
Despite the pressure, Starmer used his farewell speech to defend his record in government, citing economic growth, rising wages, reduced National Health Service waiting lists, stronger workers’ rights, increased defence spending and efforts to tackle illegal migration.
Reflecting on his time in office, Starmer insisted that public service, not power, had always motivated him.
“I never came into politics for power itself,” he said, while highlighting what he described as Labour’s achievements in government.
The outgoing Prime Minister also paid an emotional tribute to his family, particularly his wife, who reportedly encouraged him to continue fighting for his leadership. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the political reality within the party had become impossible to ignore.
Concluding his address, Starmer signalled that family life would now take precedence over political ambition.
“I will now focus on being the best husband and father I can be,” he said.
Trump’s remark sparks debate
TNG reports the resignation has also reignited debate over President Trump’s comments made a day earlier.
Speaking through social media, Trump asserted that Starmer’s departure was imminent, even as British ministers publicly insisted they had no indication that the Prime Minister was preparing to step down.
When Starmer’s resignation became official on Monday, critics and supporters alike questioned whether Trump had insider knowledge of Labour’s internal deliberations or had merely anticipated a political outcome that many observers already considered likely.
Burnham emerges as front-runner
Meanwhile, attention has now shifted to Labour’s looming leadership contest, with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham widely regarded as the leading candidate to replace Starmer. Party officials are expected to begin the formal succession process in the coming weeks.
Starmer’s departure makes him the latest British Prime Minister to leave office amid political upheaval, extending a period of remarkable instability in British politics that has seen multiple leadership changes in less than a decade.
For a leader who only months ago vowed that he would “prove the doubters wrong,” Monday’s resignation represented a dramatic reversal and a sobering end to a premiership ultimately undone by the loss of confidence within his own ranks.
News
Sad: Two soldiers k!lled as military van runs into explosive device in Sokoto
Two soldiers were reportedly k!lled and several others injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly exploded on a military vehicle conveying troops to Bargaja community in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The troops were said to be responding to a distress call following a bandit attack on the community in the early hours of Saturday, June 21, 2026.
Residents told Daily Trust that armed bandits invaded the village between 12:30am and 3:00am, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to seek military intervention.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the attackers planted an IED along the Isa-Bargaja road before the arrival of the troops.
“They were on their way to rescue us when the vehicle hit the explosive. Many soldiers were affected. One of the soldiers involved in the incident later ran into our village seeking help after the explosion,” he said, adding that the soldier sustained serious injuries on his leg.
The resident said the incident occurred on a section of the road linking Isa and Bargaja and expressed concern over what he described as the increasing use of explosive devices by bandits.
“We have seen the bodies of two soldiers, but we cannot say whether there were more casualties,” he said, calling on the authorities to take urgent measures to address the security situation.
Another resident who claimed to have visited the military camp in Isa town to condole with the troops said they travelled from Bargaja to sympathise with the soldiers following the incident.
“We hired two vehicles from our community and went to Isa to condole with the military over the loss of their personnel,” he said.
The source claimed that three soldiers, including a driver, lost their lives in the attack, adding that one of the victims was severely affected by the explosion.
He said the remains of the deceased personnel were later evacuated to Sokoto.
Another source who is familiar with the developments in the area also alleged that the troops came under a coordinated ambush while responding to the distress call from residents.
According to the source, the attackers allowed an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicle leading the convoy to pass before targeting a Hilux vehicle behind it with gunfire and an explosive device.
“The APC was at the front and was allowed to pass. The attackers then opened fire and detonated an explosive device targeting the Hilux behind it,” the source alleged.
He added that one of the security personnel reportedly fled into a nearby forest during the incident and that efforts were ongoing to locate and rescue him.
The source further said residents, security personnel and the attackers were engaged in exchanges throughout the night, creating tension across the area.
“We never slept yesterday because of the sound of gunfire. I can’t confirm the exact number of the casualties. Wait till after we gathered the accurate information about the incident,” the source said.
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