A Nigerian civil society group representing Fulani communities has called on the United States government and international partners to stop framing the Fulani ethnic group as the primary driver of insecurity in Nigeria, warning that such portrayals risk deepening ethnic tensions and fuelling communal violence.
The Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, in a statement signed by Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado and issued on Thursday, directed its criticism at what it described as inconsistent and shifting narratives in US-linked reporting on Nigeria’s security situation. The group questioned what it called the repeated back-and-forth posture of the United States on Nigeria’s security challenges, pointing to earlier assessments that had reportedly cautioned against portraying the Fulani ethnic group as either the singular source of insecurity in Nigeria or the enemy of the country.
The statement was issued in direct response to a May 2026 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), titled “Nonstate Violators of Religious Freedom in Nigeria: Fulani Militants.” That report estimated that approximately 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria in cells ranging from 10 to 1,000 members, describing them as some of the deadliest non-state actors driving religious freedom violations in the country.
The Fulani group argued that narratives linking Fulani identity to violence had gained particular prominence during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, when insecurity debates frequently referenced Fulani herders in connection with armed violence, contributing to hostility against Fulani communities, including attacks on settlements and destruction of property.
The group maintained that conflicts between herders and farmers across states such as Benue, Plateau, and Taraba are driven by a combination of land disputes, environmental pressures, and local political factors, and cannot be fairly attributed to ethnic identity. It also argued that many Fulani families in those states have lived there for generations and should not be treated as outsiders.
The statement urged both international bodies and Nigerian authorities to rely on evidence-based reporting, stressing that insecurity across Nigeria involves multiple actors including criminal gangs, extremist organisations, and separatist movements. “Nigeria’s future cannot be built on ethnic scapegoating, mutual suspicion or divisive narratives,” the statement concluded.
