The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has alleged that some personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force collaborated with Fulani militias involved in violent attacks and kidnappings across parts of Nigeria.
The allegation was contained in a May 2026 report released by the commission 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 attacks targeting religious communities, particularly in northern and central parts of the country.
USCIRF claimed that in some cases, the fate of kidnapping victims remained unclear because of the sensitive nature of ransom negotiations and what it described as possible cooperation between criminals and certain 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.
The commission also alleged that censorship and conflicting narratives surrounding insecurity in Nigeria had complicated efforts to properly analyse the motives and identities of armed groups operating in affected communities.
According to the report, opinions differ over the root causes of attacks linked to Fulani militias. While some observers attribute the violence to economic and environmental pressures, others view it 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.
USCIRF further urged the US Congress to prevent individuals lobbying on behalf of governments blacklisted for religious freedom violations from receiving financial compensation.
Meanwhile, 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.
According to Hegseth, the directive had quietly contributed to the elimination of a senior 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.
