Ndume Raises Alarm Over Renewed Boko Haram Attacks Borno

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has raised concerns over the increasing insecurity in the state following fresh attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.

Ndume confirmed that two military bases were recently attacked in Northern and Southern Borno, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers. He described the situation as worsening, particularly in areas such as Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Chibok, Damboa, Biu, and Hawul, where communities have been targeted, properties looted, and security forces unable to stop the attacks.

The senator expressed concerns over these renewed assaults, especially as Governor Babagana Zulum is working to reopen the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu Road, a major route connecting several local governments to Maiduguri, the state capital. However, the rising insecurity has made even the Maiduguri-Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu road unsafe.

Ndume revealed that due to the road closures, travelers from Biu, Hawul, Shani, Bayo, and Kwaya Kusar now have to pass through Gombe State, extending a two-hour journey to over 12 hours.

He also disclosed that on Monday, Boko Haram fighters attacked an army formation in Wajirko, Damboa Local Government Area, while another landmine explosion along the same route killed several soldiers. The Brigade Commander of ‘Operation Hadin Kai,’ who was recently deployed to Damboa, was among those injured in the blast.

The attack was carried out simultaneously in Wajirko and Wulgo, a village in Gamboru Ngala near the Nigeria-Cameroon border, where multinational troops from Nigeria and Cameroon are stationed. These coordinated assaults forced troops to retreat.

Borno State has been battling insurgency for over a decade, with repeated attacks threatening security and infrastructure in the region.