TWO days after the killing of 20 fishermen in the Gadan Gari fishing community of Bama Local Government Area, Borno State, on Wednesday, another attack by armed terrorists, suspected to be Boko Haram/ISWAP, has reportedly claimed the lives of a military commander, two senior officers, and 17 soldiers at a military base in Malam-Fatori, the headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area.
Bama is located in Borno Central, while Malam-Fatori, in the northern part of the state, lies near the border with the Republic of Niger.
A similar incident occurred a few weeks ago when terrorists invaded a military base in the Sabon Gari community of Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, killing several soldiers, including officers.
Reliable sources reported that the attackers, who stormed the Malam-Fatori military base, wreaked havoc for several hours on Friday, 24 January 2025, before dislodging the 149 Battalion. Survivors of the deadly attack reportedly fled to safety.
Intelligence sources confirmed that the insurgents arrived at the base in multiple gun trucks, razing several buildings and military operational vehicles during the assault.
“Many soldiers were seriously injured, and a yet-to-be-ascertained number of personnel remain missing as of Saturday,” one source said.
“The commanding officer of the battalion, two senior officers, including the base medical director, were among those killed. This comes just days after the terror group launched a brutal attack on the military’s Forward Operating Base in Damboa, killing an unconfirmed number of soldiers, with many still missing.
“The 25 Taskforce Brigade was attacked over the weekend with heavy casualties. So far, over seven bodies have been recovered. The terror group invaded the FOB Sabon Gari camp around 4 am on Saturday, using various weapons,” the source added.
Meanwhile, in the Gadan Gari attack in Bama, Modu Ari, a member of the civilian joint task force, reported that insurgents stormed the fishing community on Wednesday at about 11:00 am, opening fire on fishermen, killing at least 20.
Mustapha Kachallah, a resident, said his child was killed in the attack, and they had buried more than 15 people.
The military and Borno State officials have yet to comment on the attacks.
Since November last year, there has been a resurgence of terrorist attacks across Borno State. Before these two incidents, over 40 farmers were killed in Dumba, a fishing and farming community in Kukawa Local Government Area.
The current situation calls for urgent action from the federal government and the Nigerian military to restore the relative peace previously enjoyed in the region. This is especially critical as the state government continues its efforts to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their ancestral homes.