Insurgents kill 22 people in Nigeria

The militant attacks in Borno and Adamawa states have revived fears of a resurgent Boko Haram in the African state

At least 22 people have been killed and several others wounded in two separate attacks over the weekend in northeastern Nigeria, local authorities reported, amid renewed militant violence in the troubled region.

The assaults targeted villages in Borno and Adamawa states on Saturday. In Borno’s Gwoza area, suspected Islamist militants ambushed a group of civilians, killing ten of them, according to Mohammed Shehu Timta, emir of the region. He said two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed in an earlier attack on Friday.

“They went to a nearby bush in search of firewood on Saturday when the boys [insurgents] ambushed them and killed ten and left two with life-threatening injuries,” local outlets, including the Punch Newspaper, cited Timta as saying.

In Adamawa State’s Hong district, gunmen believed to be Boko Haram fighters raided Kopre village, where 10 people were killed and several others injured, residents said, according to Reuters. Police in Adamawa confirmed the incident, saying it also targeted local hunters and members of the CJTF.

READ MORE: Civilians mistakenly killed in airstrike on insurgents in Nigeria

In a statement on Monday, regional police spokesperson Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje announced that more officers, including soldiers, have been deployed to “augment the security strength in Kopre.”

“The Adamawa State Police command in sustaining collaboration with sister security agencies particularly the Military, continues to demonstrate its commitment to improve security across the border to prevent violent crimes, protect lives and property, arrest and recover illegal possession of firearms,” he stated.

The assaults come amid growing warnings from officials about a resurgence of militant violence in the northeast. Earlier this month, Borno’s governor reportedly acknowledged that Boko Haram fighters had resumed attacks and kidnappings.

Read more

The West African nation has long grappled with insurgency, with Islamic State-affiliated organizations and Boko Haram carrying out frequent attacks. According to United Nations estimates, the conflict between jihadists and the Nigerian government has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people.

While Nigeria’s military intensifies its counterterrorism operations – including airstrikes on militant strongholds – these campaigns have at times inflicted civilian casualties. In December, the army reported that at least ten people were accidentally killed in a bombing raid targeting an armed group’s base in the northwestern state of Sokoto.