Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have caused significant unrest in the southern part of Borno State, resulting in the tragic loss of at least two lives and the abduction of six individuals, including two traditional leaders. According to our sources, ISWAP’s activities have escalated over the past week within Damboa Local Government Area,Daily Trust reporst.
Reports indicate that ISWAP targeted the remote village of Burum, situated 20 kilometers along the Damboa/Biu highway. During this attack, two traditional rulers were forcefully taken away after military personnel had previously ambushed and eliminated an undisclosed number of ISWAP fighters in the area the previous Thursday. An authoritative source mentioned that ISWAP militants returned to Burum village, capturing residents as an act of retaliation for divulging their movements to the military.
“They abducted two traditional rulers, Wakinlin Lawan and Bulama of Burum village, who were acting on behalf of the Ward Head and Village Head, respectively. Their whereabouts remain unknown since their abduction,” stated the source. “ISWAP blamed the villagers for sharing information with the troops who had previously ambushed and killed some ISWAP fighters in the vicinity. It has been four days, and we are deeply concerned for their safety. We implore the government to intervene,” the source added.
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Furthermore, ISWAP militants carried out attacks on two villages on Sunday night, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries in Damboa villages. A member of a local vigilante group revealed that five individuals were also abducted during the night attacks. “In Mugule village, one person was killed, three were abducted, and one sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen on Sunday night. Additionally, in Azir village, one person was killed, another wounded, and two were taken by the assailants two days ago,” disclosed the vigilante source.
In another development, ISWAP fighters targeted and killed Ali Gana Alhaji Ali, the Boko Haram Commander responsible for the Sambisa and Gwoza axis, on Gwoza hill in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. A security source informed us that Ali, notorious for his brutal actions, was ambushed and killed by ISWAP fighters on Sunday. “He served as the deputy to the late Ali Ngulde and was one of the most ruthless terrorist leaders in Borno.
Besides Shekau, no one was responsible for as many civilian casualties in areas such as Sambisa forest, Banking, and Bayan Dutsen Gwoza. His fighters in the Gwoza region consistently terrorized communities, farmers, and commuters along routes such as Pulka, Banking, Bama, and Gwoza Mubi. They spared no one, and people were slaughtered in their farms on a weekly basis. The people of Gwoza will undoubtedly celebrate his demise,” the source stated.
This development comes more than two years after the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, died in a confrontation with ISWAP fighters in May 2021.
Last week, Usman Ahmed Jaha, the representative for Goza, Damboa, and Chibok federal constituency in the National Assembly, expressed his dismay over the killing of ten farmers in the Goza area over the span of ten days. He also raised concerns about the ongoing daily attacks on farmers in the region, intended to discourage them from harvesting their crops.
