A fresh wave of Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks has sent shockwaves through Borno State, forcing thousands of rural residents to flee once again amid a growing climate of fear and insecurity.
Despite high-level visits and reassurances from the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, and top military brass, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, insurgents have launched at least 12 attacks in just three weeks, killing scores of civilians and soldiers.
These assaults have included bomb blasts, ambushes on military bases, and mass killings in towns such as Chibok, Gwoza, and Mobbar, where victims included an army captain and 17 fishermen.
On 28 April, a bomb planted on the Gamboru-Ngala road killed eight travellers, followed by a deadly raid in Chibok the next day, which left 14 residents dead and several missing.
“We are not fine. Our people have been killed by Boko Haram,” a resident of Baga told PREMIUM TIMES, adding that insurgents had established checkpoints and imposed clearance tickets on farmers and fishermen, killing those who disobeyed.
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While the military claims to have neutralised dozens of insurgents and dismantled camps in the Sambisa forest, over 40 civilians have perished, with insurgents looting military vehicles and torching public infrastructure.
“These isolated attacks should not be a cause for concern, as the military and security agencies are firmly in control,” General Musa assured journalists, while acknowledging that pressure on terrorists in the Sahel was causing spill-over violence in Nigeria.
Governor Babagana Zulum has declared a day of fasting for divine intervention, and federal lawmakers like Ahmad Satomi have raised alarm over attacks on barracks and the recent armoury fire in Giwa Barracks, calling them a grave threat to national security.
In Gajiram and Dikwa, soldiers repelled attacks after fierce gun battles, though four troops were confirmed dead, while in Baga, 15 farmers were killed, and key community infrastructure was destroyed.
“Boko Haram have their gates… if you pass without their clearance ticket, they will kill you,” another elderly resident said, expressing the depth of control insurgents now wield.
The escalating violence has prompted calls for renewed international collaboration, with General Musa highlighting recent engagements with partners in Russia and plans to deploy new weapons systems to crush the insurgency.
