Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly overrun another military camp in northeastern Nigeria, killing a commanding officer and several soldiers in Borno State.
According to reports, the attack occurred in the early hours of Monday in Kukawa Local Government Area, just days after a similar assault in Ngoshe.
Sources from the community said the insurgents stormed the town around 12:30 a.m., approaching the military base from multiple directions before launching a coordinated assault.
“They stormed the town from several sides and attacked the military camp,” a local source said.
Security sources revealed that the attackers overwhelmed the troops, forcing them to flee their base. The militants reportedly set several military vehicles on fire and made away with weapons and ammunition.
One security official confirmed that the commanding officer of the base was among those killed during the attack.
“I cannot say much about the number of casualties, but it is very sad that we lost the commanding officer,” the source said.
The development comes only months after troops stationed in the same area successfully repelled an earlier attack by the insurgents in February, killing several of them. The victory was widely praised by the local community, and the commanding officer was commended for his leadership.
At the time, the lawmaker representing Kukawa in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, also celebrated with the soldiers following their successful defence of the base.
Reacting to the latest attack, Lawan expressed sadness that the military camp had now fallen to the insurgents.
In recent months, there has been a renewed wave of attacks on military formations across the North-East, raising concerns about the growing strength and firepower of terrorist groups in the region.
Last year, Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on security in an effort to tackle rising violence across the country. However, despite the move, terrorists, bandits, and other criminal groups have continued to carry out attacks, often evading security forces.
