An estimated 30,000 predominantly Muslim Fulani militants are the deadliest threat in Nigeria, causing the highest number of deaths among all religious communities, according to a US Commission on International Religious Freedom report.
The report states Fulani militants have targeted Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt and South, burning homes and churches, kidnapping, raping, and murdering. Attacks often occur during Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter to maximize psychological impact.
Sterling Tilley, former acting director of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, said US military strikes against ISIS and Boko Haram in the North are not advisable for the farmer-herder conflict in central Nigeria, warning it could bring more instability. Tilley noted the Nigerian government appears reluctant to act due to the Fulani's political influence as a voting block ahead of next year's elections.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the strikes ordered by President Trump were in response to Nigerian Christians being targeted by ISIS. Christians make up approximately 48% of Nigeria’s population. The report notes Fulani assailants have also attacked Muslim communities, but Christians remain highly vulnerable.