Armed men attacked the remote village of Ngoshe in Nigeria's Borno state on Wednesday, resulting in “massive” civilian casualties, though the precise death toll remains unconfirmed. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume told the BBC that based on information from local government officials and residents, the number of people killed is “very massive,” highlighting the severity of the assault in this predominantly Muslim community.
The attack reportedly occurred in the evening during the Ramadan fasting period, as many villagers were breaking their fast. Local media reports indicate that suspected Islamist militants abducted more than 100 women and children, also targeting a nearby military base and a camp for displaced people, killing several soldiers and civilians, including the village's chief cleric and some community elders.
Senator Ndume stated that the suspected militants seized control of Ngoshe for two days before being dislodged by the Nigerian military, which employed airstrikes and ground troops. He described this as a “devastating attack,” noting that the area had not witnessed such an incident since the heyday of the Islamist group Boko Haram over a decade ago, when it controlled large parts of Borno, including Ngoshe.
Ndume further suggested that the attackers may have escaped with weapons stolen from the military base, potentially reinforcing them for future assaults, a pattern observed in previous similar attacks. Local journalist Umaru Yakubu Kirawa confirmed to the BBC that residents reported many deaths and hundreds of abductions, calling for security reinforcements amid the ongoing insecurity.
Despite being from the same party as President Bola Tinubu, Senator Ndume has frequently criticized the government's handling of security in the region. He emphasized that since authorities declared a “state of emergency on security,” they should “walk the talk,” pointing to a lack of equipment, ammunition, and government motivation as major challenges facing the Nigerian armed forces.
Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Daso Kenneth confirmed the attack occurred on Wednesday night but could not yet provide casualty figures, stating that security personnel had repelled the insurgents and a search-and-rescue operation is underway. A spokesperson for Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said the governor met with survivors on Friday, offering aid and promising to do everything possible to rescue the kidnapped and restore order, as the region grapples with persistent Islamist insurgency led by groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
Source: www.bbc.com