Boko Haram Raid in Gwoza Leaves Residents Dead, Some Missing – Police

At least some residents have been killed following a raid by Boko Haram insurgents on a military base and surrounding community in Gwoza, Borno State, the police said.

In a statement on Thursday, Police Spokesperson Nahum Daso said the attackers stormed the military base around 1 a.m. on Wednesday before moving into the nearby community.

“Suspected terrorist group attacked a military base in Gwoza around 1:00 a.m. on the 4th of March. The military were able to repel them,” the statement read. “Although an unknown number of civilians have been affected and killed, some are still missing, and some may have been abducted towards the Mandara Mountains.”

Mr. Daso added that the community has since been stabilised and that investigations are ongoing to determine the total number of victims. “As of now, the community is calm. The military has taken charge. We are still verifying the number of people taken away and will make a public statement once confirmed,” he said.

Ali Ndume, a federal lawmaker representing Borno South, criticised the absence of stationed attack helicopters in the northeast, which he said hampers rapid military response to attacks. “The inability of the military to have a stationed attack helicopter(s) in the entire North East is a serious threat. Even the few attack helicopters, fighter jets, and Tucanos that were available have relocated to the North West and Central regions, making rapid response difficult,” Mr. Ndume said.

Meanwhile, Army Chief Waidi Shaibu reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to decisively tackle terrorism, insurgency, and other security threats across the country.