•Some displaced people and terrorists
Survivors have recounted how Boko Haram insurgents killed 63 people in an attack on the Darul Jamal community, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
In an interview with our correspondent, residents said the terrorists stormed the community on Friday night, first engaging the military before proceeding to attack civilians, reports Daily Trust.
They attributed the attack to the inadequate presence of security personnel.
However, a security source countered this claim, insisting that sufficient troops had been deployed and had previously repelled several insurgent attacks on the area.
According to the source, during this assault, the insurgents launched three successive offensives before eventually dislodging troops from the military base.
“They carted away two gun trucks and three motorcycles belonging to the Civilian JTF, and burnt down the signal centre, CCTV cameras, and radio communication facilities,” he said.
He added that five soldiers and 58 civilians were killed in the attack. Among the civilians were labourers, drivers, and returnees living in the community.
Our correspondent also gathered that the assailants looted arms and ammunition abandoned by fleeing soldiers before setting the operational facilities ablaze.
One of the survivors, Hassan Kolo, said it was the military that first alerted them of the impending Boko Haram attack, just minutes before the insurgents arrived.
“The soldiers told us they were in a gun duel with the terrorists and advised us to enter our homes and lock the doors. We did exactly that.
“Unfortunately, the insurgents overpowered the military and stormed our homes. They went from house to house, shooting adult males on sight and setting our homes ablaze.
“They burnt down 24 houses. By luck, I ran into the bush and hid. That was how I survived,” he said.
Another survivor, Modu Abdul, said the Civilian JTF initially tried to stop the insurgents before they began their house-to-house killings.
“But not long after, the Civilian JTF ran out of ammunition and retreated. We were all left to our fate, and the insurgents had a field day, killing male occupants house by house.
“We only realised they had left after 11:00 p.m. No security operatives returned until morning,” he said.
Falmata Ali recounted how her husband and other men in her neighbourhood were killed when the insurgents raided the community.
“We were relocated here only recently, and the government assured us we would be safe. I cannot forget the fear in my husband’s eyes when they came for him. He was shot mercilessly.
“I screamed for help, but nobody came. My husband’s brutal murder will continue to haunt me,” she sobbed.
Another resident, who fled to Bama town about 46 km away, said they escaped alongside some security personnel who had also been overpowered by the terrorists.
“We arrived in Bama together, and then everyone went their separate ways. I was in a very pathetic situation,” he said.
He called on the federal government to deploy more security operatives in the area to curb the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
When contacted for a reaction to the reported lack of security in the community, the spokesman of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, said Darul Jamal was not under police jurisdiction.
He referred this reporter to the military, under whose control the community falls.
In recent months, several returnee communities have come under attack, including Marte, Izge, Ngoshe, Baga, Bita, Rann, Kirawa, and, most recently, Darul Jamal.
In the wake of these incidents, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has consistently encouraged victims to remain resilient while assuring them of improved security measures.
However, despite these promises, insurgents have continued to launch attacks, particularly in communities across Marte, Kala-Balge, Gwoza, Damboa, Chibok, and Kukawa local government areas.
Timeline of attacks on returnee communities
August 10, 2025 – Boko Haram insurgents attacked Kirawa town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing three soldiers and abducting a female schoolgirl, Aishatu Aja.
The nighttime assault forced residents to flee across the border into neighbouring Cameroon.
Police spokesman for the Borno State Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident.
April 5, 2025 – Boko Haram fighters invaded Izge village, also in Gwoza LGA, killing a military captain and a corporal. Several insurgents were also reported killed during the exchange.
The Chairman of Gwoza Local Council, Abba Kawu Idrissa Timta, confirmed the incident but noted that full casualty figures were yet to be compiled.
May 12, 2025 – The terrorists launched an attack on a military base in Marte, leaving an unspecified number of soldiers dead, with many others reported missing.
May 13, 2025 – Boko Haram launched coordinated attacks on three military bases in Rann, Gajiram, and Dikwa, all in Borno State. At least four soldiers were killed, while the insurgents also suffered heavy casualties. Security forces eventually repelled the assaults.
Massacre aimed at attracting attention – Expert
A security expert and former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Barrister Mike Ejiofor, has said that Boko Haram insurgents are carrying out killings to attract attention and destabilise the government.
According to him, the insurgents resort to surprise attacks to demonstrate relevance despite suffering losses.
He advised troops to remain proactive and intensify efforts to root out insurgents.
On the high casualty figures recorded in recent attacks in Baga and Darul Jamal, he said: “Their objective is to discredit the government and instil fear among the populace. They don’t believe in democracy, and they use these killings to blackmail the government. But the government will not succumb.”
On whether it is premature to return Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes, he cautioned: “Some of those areas are still not stabilised, so asking the indigenes to return now is not the right thing to do. Once the areas are secured, civil defence operatives can be deployed to assure residents of safety.”
Military, Police, NSA mum
Efforts made last night to speak with the military high command did not yield results as several phone calls to the Director, Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, were not answered.
Kangye, a Major-General, did not also respond to both text and WhatsApp messages sent to him on the development as of when filing this report.
Also, calls to the spokesman of the Police, Benjamin Hundeyin, a Chief Superintendent of Police, showed “Line Busy” for several hours. A WhatsApp message sent to him was not responded to when going to the press.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Adamu Laka, a Major-General, could not also be reached for comments.
30 terrorists killed in Darul Jamal – Airforce
The Nigerian Air Force, in a statement on Saturday, claimed that no fewer than 30 terrorists were neutralised by both the air and ground troops attached to Operation Hadin Kai.
The spokesman of the NAF, Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the terrorists were neutralised at Dar-El-Jamal village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Ejodame, an Air Commodore, stated that on arrival at Dar Jamel, the aircrew visually identified friendly forces before ISR scans revealed terrorists fleeing northwards from the town towards nearby bushes.
He said, “Acting swiftly on the situation report, the AC OPHK deployed an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Air Interdiction (AI) mission. En route, the aircrew established contact with ground forces in Banki, who confirmed that reinforcements were already moving to support troops.
“On arrival at Dar Jamel, the aircrew visually identified friendly forces before ISR scans revealed terrorists fleeing northwards from the town towards nearby bushes.
“In a series of three precise and successive strikes, the fleeing terrorists were decisively engaged, resulting in the neutralisation of over 30 insurgents.”
Nigerians must rise to confront insecurity – Atiku, Obi
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the fresh Boko Haram attacks in Borno State, calling for a concerted effort to confront the menace of insecurity across the country.
Atiku said, “This senseless violence is a painful reminder of the heavy price our people continue to pay in the face of terror”.
He said the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians must inspire stronger community security, deeper collaboration, and unwavering commitment to peace.
Atiku, in the condolence message posted on his social media pages, said as a nation, “we must rise to confront this menace with unity and renewed resolve.”
Also, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has described as ‘frightening’ the recent killings in Borno, Edo, Sokoto and Katsina states.
Peter Obi expressed the feeling in a tweet on his official X handle yesterday.
In a tweet, Obi lamented that the incidents were “stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”
He decried that with over 100 Nigerians killed within a week, the casualty figures rivaled those of countries that are officially at war.
He said, “When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual. It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.”
