MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — At least 60 people were killed late Friday when Boko Haram militants launched a nighttime assault on Darul Jamal, a village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, authorities confirmed.
The community, which had only recently welcomed back residents returning from camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), was left devastated after gunmen stormed the area, killing dozens and setting houses ablaze.
Village resident Mohammed Babagana told the Associated Press that the death toll had surpassed 60. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who visited the community on Saturday evening, confirmed the figure.
“We sympathize with the people and have pleaded with them not to abandon their homes,” Zulum said. “Arrangements have been made to strengthen security and provide food and other lifesaving items they have lost.”
According to Bama Local Government Chairman Modu Gujja, more than a dozen homes were destroyed in the raid, forcing over 100 residents to flee.
Security researcher Taiwo Adebayo of the Institute for Security Studies said the assault was carried out by a faction of Boko Haram known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), the group’s original wing.
The attack highlights the persistent insecurity in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram’s insurgency—now in its 15th year—continues to devastate communities despite ongoing military operations.
