Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have carried out a deadly attack on Darul Jama, a resettled community in Borno State, killing scores of civilians and soldiers in one of the bloodiest raids in recent months.
The attackers, who stormed the village late Friday night on motorbikes, reportedly went from house to house, shooting residents and setting homes on fire. Survivors said the militants overwhelmed soldiers stationed in the area, forcing both security forces and villagers to flee towards Bama town.
Casualty figures vary, but local sources put the death toll at more than 60, including several soldiers. Many others remain missing, while some survivors are believed to have fled into the surrounding bush.
Residents of Darul Jama had only recently returned to the area after being relocated from an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Bama, which was shut down earlier this year. The attack has sparked renewed concerns about the government’s resettlement policy, with community members lamenting that assurances of safety were not matched with adequate security.
Eyewitnesses described the killings as indiscriminate, with militants targeting mostly men while sparing women. “They came in large numbers and took us by surprise. We are still burying our dead,” one villager said.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent assaults linked to Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), underscoring the persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s northeast despite ongoing military operations.
