AN UNKNOWN armed group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, where scores of soldiers and civilians were reportedly killed and more than 300 residents abducted during a violent raid on Wednesday night.
The attackers made the claim in a video obtained by News Point Nigeria on Friday, in which five armed men appeared to boast about the assault and declared their intention to take control of the town.
News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that the terrorists stormed Ngoshe late Wednesday night, launching a coordinated attack on a military base and surrounding civilian areas.
Witnesses said the assailants set parts of the military facility on fire, fired sporadically into the air, and burned homes and shops across the community.
The raid triggered panic among residents, many of whom fled into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities to escape the violence.
Group Claims Town Has Been ‘Conquered’
In the video message delivered in Hausa, one of the men speaking on behalf of the group said the attackers had successfully captured Ngoshe and planned to remain there.
He declared that the group would celebrate the upcoming **Eid al‑Fitr prayers in the town’s central mosque after the end of Ramadan.
“In the name of Allah, the most merciful and most beneficial,” the speaker said in the footage.
“We thank God Almighty for helping us to succeed in our mission in Ngoshe. Today we are inside the central mosque in Ngoshe.
“People in this town are saying that we cannot conquer Ngoshe. With the help of God, we have already conquered the town.”
He added that the group intended to remain in the community and make it part of their territory.
“By the grace of God, we are going to stay in Ngoshe and make it part of our province and we are going to do the Eid-el-Fitr Salah after the end of Ramadan in Ngoshe.”
The speaker also acknowledged that several residents had been abducted during the attack.
According to him, those abducted would be held captive, while the group claimed it had carried out killings during the raid.
“We have slaughtered males and females in Ngoshe and we have enslaved the others,” he said.
The group further issued threats to extend its attacks beyond Ngoshe, mentioning potential targets in Maiduguri and Abuja.
Following the attack, survivors described the assault as devastating, saying many residents fled with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
Several displaced families have reportedly taken refuge in nearby communities within the local government area.
Residents expressed concern that elderly people and some bodies of victims remained in the village after the attackers forced inhabitants to flee.
Eyewitnesses said the attack lasted for several hours before the air component of Operation Hadin Kai eventually mobilised and dispersed the attackers into surrounding forests.
The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident, noting that the exact number of casualties was still unknown.
“Although some unknown number of civilians yet to be ascertained were also affected or killed. Some are still missing and probably some were abducted and taken towards the Mandara Mountains,” he said.
Authorities said investigations were ongoing to determine the full scale of the attack and the number of victims involved.
Meanwhile, the Borno State government said it had begun providing emergency assistance to survivors displaced by the attack.
The state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said victims had been relocated to Pulka, another town in Gwoza Local Government Area, where relief materials were being distributed.
He said the assistance included food items and other essentials to support the displaced families.
“There is a standing protocol by the state government for providing support to people who are affected by conflicts,” Tar said.
“In the case of Ngoshe, the people were assembled at Pulka, a nearby town, and immediate support came from the local government.”
He added that the state emergency agency had dispatched supplies including rice, sugar, millet and blankets to the affected households.