Suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have killed troops, residents, a chief imam and several Muslim worshippers in Ngoshe community, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, in a brutal attack carried out shortly after the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
The attack, which occurred Tuesday evening, has left the border town devastated, with residents reporting widespread killings, abductions and the destruction of homes, forcing thousands of civilians to flee for safety.
Local sources said the insurgents launched a coordinated assault around 6:30 p.m., first targeting a military formation in the community before unleashing violence on civilians.
Witnesses said the attackers killed several residents, including the chief imam and worshippers who had just finished breaking their fast. Many victims were reportedly slaughtered with swords and long knives in what residents described as an unusually brutal assault.
“The attack was very devastating. The terrorists killed several people, including the chief imam and worshippers who had just finished breaking their fast,” a local resident said.
Officials from the Gwoza area said the militants abducted hundreds of residents, including women and children, during the raid before retreating into nearby forests and mountainous terrain along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Security sources also said the attackers targeted a military installation belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion, setting ablaze armoured tanks and military vehicles while carting away an unconfirmed quantity of ammunition.
After the assault on the military position, the insurgents reportedly stormed an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the community, looting food supplies and other valuables before ransacking nearby settlements and surrounding bushes.
Residents said the violence continued through the night as insurgents reportedly carried out house-to-house searches, killing civilians and burning homes.
By early morning, large numbers of residents had fled Ngoshe toward Pulka community, trekking through mountainous terrain in desperate search of safety.
Many families arrived exhausted and traumatised, with several carrying nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The sudden influx of displaced residents has placed severe humanitarian pressure on Pulka, where health facilities are reportedly overwhelmed treating wounded civilians alongside injured soldiers.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has visited the community where he described the incident as tragic and expressed deep sympathy with families who lost loved ones in the attack. He said he came personally to commiserate with the affected community and assess the situation.
Zulum assured residents that efforts were ongoing to rescue those abducted during the assault. According to him, security agencies have already intensified operations in the area to track down the attackers and secure the release of the captives.
He noted that the military was currently carrying out operations around insurgent hideouts, including areas linked to militant activities, in a bid to prevent further attacks and restore normalcy.
The governor also urged the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Federal Government to intensify operations in the Mandara Mountains, which he said had become a strategic base for insurgents launching attacks on surrounding communities.
Zulum further stated that the attack might have been carried out by insurgents fleeing sustained military offensives in their strongholds, leading them to target nearby civilian populations.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting security agencies and providing relief assistance to victims affected by the attack.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, confirmed the attack and said both civilians and security personnel were among those killed.
Ndume lamented that the chief imam, community elders and soldiers were among the victims, while more than 100 residents were still missing or abducted during the attack.
He called for intensified military operations in Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains to flush out remaining insurgent elements operating in southern Borno.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military said its air component responded swiftly to the attack. Precision airstrikes carried out under Operation Hadin Kai reportedly neutralised more than 50 fleeing terrorists along their escape routes in the Ngoshe–Pulka corridor.
Military authorities described the insurgent assault as a desperate attempt by terrorists facing sustained pressure from ongoing operations across the North-East theatre.
According to security officials, recent offensives by Nigerian troops had eliminated several terrorist commanders, a development analysts believe may have triggered the reprisal attack on the community.
Reacting to the incident, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the killings and abductions, describing the attack as deeply troubling.
In a statement, he expressed sympathy to the families of victims and criticised what he described as the government’s response to growing insecurity.
“The attack by suspected terrorists on a military base and an IDP camp in Ngoshe, in which over 100 citizens were abducted, is deeply troubling,” he said, warning that the resurgence of violent attacks across the country requires urgent and decisive action.
As search-and-rescue operations continue, authorities say the full casualty figure remains unclear.
The latest assault highlights the persistent threat posed by insurgent groups in Nigeria’s North-East despite years of military campaigns aimed at dismantling their networks.
Humanitarian organisations and community leaders are now calling for urgent assistance for displaced residents taking refuge in Pulka and surrounding communities as fears grow over the scale of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the area.
