SUSPECTED Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents have intercepted four trailers loaded with cattle and stolen more than 100 cows near Kareto in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the attack occurred around 1:25 p.m. on Monday, shortly after the trailers departed from Damasak en route to Maiduguri, according to local and security sources.
The latest incident comes barely two days after insurgents reportedly set ablaze four trucks transporting beans from Monguno to Maiduguri near Garin Kashim in Guzamala Local Government Area, underscoring renewed insecurity along key supply routes in northern Borno.
Sources told this newspaper that the insurgents blocked the road and operated in the area for over an hour, waiting for all four trailers to arrive before launching their assault.
One source disclosed that the attackers systematically offloaded the cattle from the vehicles and herded them into nearby bush paths.
“They waited for the other two trailers to arrive before setting the vehicles ablaze. Over a hundred cows have been stolen,” the source said.
Despite the destruction of the vehicles, the drivers reportedly escaped without physical harm.
One of the affected drivers confirmed that the trailers left Damasak approximately 30 minutes apart but were all intercepted after the insurgents mounted a blockade on the highway.
“Thank God they did not kill us, but they burnt down our vehicles. I’m on my way to Maiduguri now,” the visibly shaken driver said.
The driver lamented the absence of security personnel along the road, stating that the lack of patrols has emboldened insurgents to carry out repeated attacks in the area.
He appealed to security authorities to fortify the Damasak–Maiduguri route in the same manner as the Gwoza axis, where soldiers have reportedly been stationed strategically to deter attacks.
Residents say the recurring incidents are disrupting commercial activities and worsening economic hardship in communities already struggling with years of insurgency.
The attack adds to a series of violent incidents in Borno State in recent weeks. On February 1, 2026, insurgents reportedly killed 17 people in Guzamala-Abbari village.
The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, who represents the constituency, had condemned that attack and called for intensified security operations to protect vulnerable communities.
Security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the latest cattle theft and destruction of vehicles.