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OVER 100 INJURED IN COORDINATED STRIKES ON NIGERIAN VILLAGES; MILITARY VOWS RETALIATION
By OPEN CHRONICLE STAFF with Agencies
MAIDUGURI — A wave of coordinated attacks by Boko Haram insurgents has left at least 23 people dead and more than 100 others injured across several communities in northeastern Nigeria. The resurgence of violence has shattered a period of relative calm in the Borno State region, sending thousands of villagers fleeing for their lives.
Local officials confirmed that the militants launched simultaneous raids late Monday night, targeting rural settlements near the fringes of the Sambisa Forest. The attackers, arriving on motorcycles and in heavy vehicles, opened fire indiscriminately on residents and set fire to homes, granaries, and livestock pens.
“They Came in the Dark”
The worst of the violence occurred in the village of Ngwom, where 15 bodies were recovered from the charred remains of a local marketplace. Survivors described a night of absolute terror as the insurgents overran the community’s modest security outposts.
“We were sleeping when we heard the first explosions,” said Ibrahim Musa, a community leader who escaped the carnage. “They came in the dark, shouting and shooting at anything that moved. By the time the soldiers arrived, the village was already burning. They took our food, our cattle, and they took our peace.”
Medical facilities in Maiduguri, the state capital, have been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of casualties. Emergency ward doctors report that many of the 100-plus injured are suffering from gunshot wounds and severe burns. At least 20 of the wounded are reported to be in critical condition.
Military Response and Regional Security
The Nigerian Army’s Theatre Command for “Operation Hadin Kai” stated on Tuesday morning, asserting that troops have been deployed to “neutralize” the remaining elements of the raiding parties.
“Our forces engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing many of them to retreat into the bush with gunshot wounds,” said Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu. “We are currently conducting clearance operations to ensure these remnants of Boko Haram are completely flushed out.”
The renewed violence comes despite repeated government claims that the insurgency—which has claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past decade—had been “technically defeated.” Security analysts warn that the group is exploiting the porous borders and dense forest cover to regroup and launch “hit-and-run” tactics against soft civilian targets.
A Growing Humanitarian Crisis
The attacks have triggered a fresh wave of internal displacement. Hundreds of families have arrived on the outskirts of Maiduguri with nothing but the clothes on their backs, adding to the millions already living in overcrowded Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Humanitarian agencies have expressed deep concern over the escalating insecurity, noting that the destruction of food stores will worsen the already dire hunger crisis in the northeast.
“Every time we take a step forward in stabilizing this region, an attack like this pulls us two steps back,” said a regional director for a prominent NGO. “The civilian population is exhausted, and the fear is palpable once again.”
As the military continues its pursuit of the insurgents, the smoke from burning villages serves as a grim reminder that the long war in northeastern Nigeria is far from over.