In a renewed wave of violence, Boko Haram militants on Thursday ambushed a military patrol in Madagali, Adamawa State, killing seven civilians and injuring four soldiers. The insurgents also made away with four military motorcycles during the attack.
Security sources told SaharaReporters that the troops were ambushed around 4 p.m. while attempting to retrieve the body of a civilian killed in an earlier raid by the terrorists.
The initial assault began late Wednesday night, when heavily armed Boko Haram fighters stormed Madagali, unleashing chaos and shooting indiscriminately. According to local residents, the attack was “harrowing,” but a combined response by Nigerian soldiers and community vigilantes eventually pushed the militants back.
The violence comes just 48 hours after a high-level security meeting in Adamawa State, where National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the heads of Nigeria’s intelligence services met with Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to discuss counterterrorism strategies.
In a related incident, Boko Haram insurgents also attacked Hong Local Government Area, razing grain stores and killing more civilians—further fueling fears of a renewed large-scale offensive.
As panic spreads, many farmers in communities near the Borno border are abandoning their farmlands in anticipation of more attacks.
The Nigerian Army has yet to officially comment on either incident. Repeated calls and messages to the military spokesperson went unanswered as of the time of this report.
Boko Haram is designated as a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government, the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and several other countries.
