Residential buildings Palace set on fire as gunmen invade community, kill one, abduct other
Residential buildings Palace set on fire as gunmen invade community, kill one, abduct other
Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents launched a deadly raid on Kirawa, a border town near Cameroon in Borno State’s Gwoza Local Government Area, on Monday night.
The attack left one civilian dead and another man abducted.
Eyewitnesses say the militants stormed the town under cover of darkness, torching homes, shops, and community structures including the residence of the District Head, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abubakar.
Several properties were reduced to ashes as terrified residents fled for their lives, with many seeking refuge in nearby Cameroonian villages.
The assault was met with resistance from local vigilantes, including members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and community hunters.
Their efforts were credited with helping to repel the attackers, and one of the assailants was reportedly killed during the confrontation.
Kirawa, which once hosted a Cameroonian military base, has become increasingly vulnerable since the withdrawal of those troops following a previous assault a few months ago.
This latest violence comes just days after insurgents ambushed a convoy on the Kirawa-Pulka road, killing a CJTF member and setting six vehicles ablaze.
Reacting to the incident, Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Southern Borno, expressed deep concern over the escalating insecurity in the region.
“These renewed Boko Haram attacks in Kirawa and surrounding areas are deeply troubling,” said Ndume. “Many internally displaced persons who had returned home with the support of Governor Babagana Zulum are now once again living in fear.”
The senator, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, commended the Nigerian military’s ongoing efforts but urged federal authorities to take more decisive action.
He called for the deployment of additional troops and specialized units to vulnerable areas including Kirawa, Ngoshe, Agapalwa, and Chikide.
Ndume also renewed his appeal for a more technologically advanced counter-insurgency approach, urging the federal government to invest in drones, attack helicopters, and modern surveillance tools as part of what he termed the “TEAAM” strategy: Technology, Equipment, Arms, Ammunition, and Motivation.
“Only with a coordinated, well-resourced response can we hope to finally bring an end to Boko Haram’s reign of terror in the North East and beyond,” he said.
