US Panel Accuses Nigerian Army, Police of Aiding Fulani Militias in Killings

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, USCIRF, has accused some personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Police of allegedly collaborating with Fulani militias involved in attacks and abductions across parts of the country.

The allegation was contained in a May 2026 report released by the commission and titled, “Non-state Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants.”

According to the report, some security officials were allegedly linked to incidents involving kidnappings and violent attacks targeting religious communities, especially in northern and central Nigeria.

The commission claimed that in certain cases, the outcome of kidnapping incidents remained unclear because of the sensitive nature of ransom negotiations and what it described as possible cooperation between criminals and some security operatives.

“The fates of all these kidnapping victims, like so many others, remain unknown to the public due to the sensitivity of ransom negotiations and, in some cases, possible collusion between perpetrators and some officials from the police and/or army,” the report stated.

USCIRF also alleged that government censorship and conflicting media narratives had made it difficult to properly analyse the motives and identities of armed groups operating across the country.

The report noted that there were different opinions regarding the root causes of the attacks linked to Fulani militias. While some observers blamed environmental and economic pressures, others described the violence as a targeted campaign against non-Muslim communities, particularly Christians.

“In fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals,” the commission added.

The report further called on the US Congress to prevent individuals lobbying on behalf of governments blacklisted by Washington for religious freedom violations from receiving financial compensation.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, disclosed that President Donald Trump had directed the Pentagon to prioritise the protection of Christians in Nigeria allegedly targeted by ISIS-linked groups.

Hegseth stated that the directive had quietly contributed to the elimination of a top ISIS commander operating in Nigeria.

“There’s a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the president empowers the department to do on behalf of the American people, that he deserves great credit for,” he said.