More than 5,000 residents of Kirawa, a border town in Borno State, have fled into Cameroon after Boko Haram fighters overran the community in an overnight raid.
The insurgents struck late Thursday, setting fire to a military barracks, the palace of the district head, and several homes. District head Abdulrahman Abubakar confirmed he had to abandon his palace. “I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” he said.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that many residents escaped in trucks towards Cameroon, while others ran to Maiduguri, the state capital. A video released by Boko Haram showed fighters torching the barracks while chanting religious slogans.
“Boko Haram is in control,” said Dauda Hassan, who managed to escape to nearby Pulka, where troops are stationed.
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The attack comes less than two weeks after Boko Haram fighters seized weapons during a raid on Banki, another border town, forcing soldiers to retreat. Local leaders in Kirawa have appealed for urgent military reinforcements, saying vigilantes are the only defence since a multinational task force withdrew in August.
The latest assault highlights the renewed push by Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction, which have stepped up raids on civilians and security formations in Borno this year.
Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan reflected on the insurgency while presenting a book by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, in Abuja on Friday. Jonathan revealed that Boko Haram once nominated Muhammadu Buhari to represent them in peace talks during his administration, but the conflict persisted.
He described the crisis as “more complex than many assume,” noting that the insurgents’ access to sophisticated weapons suggests external backing. Jonathan called for a fuller documentation of the insurgency to better understand its roots and motives.
