Boko Haram gunmen struck a recently resettled village in Nigeria’s Borno State late Friday, unleashing one of the deadliest assaults in the region this year. Residents of Darul Jamal, a community in Bama Local Government Area, say militants stormed the settlement at night and left scores dead.
Survivor Mohammed Babagana told The Associated Press that “at least 60 people” were killed. Governor Babagana Zulum, who toured the devastated village Saturday, confirmed the toll exceeded 60 and pledged government support.
“We sympathize with the people and have pleaded with them not to abandon their homes as we have made arrangements to improve the security and provide food and other lifesaving items that they have lost,” Zulum said.
READ ALSO: Overloaded boat crash in Nigeria’s Niger State kills 31
Local council chairman Modu Gujja reported that more than a dozen homes were set ablaze and over 100 villagers fled. According to security analyst Taiwo Adebayo, residents indicated that the assault was carried out by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), a faction of Boko Haram. “When JAS attacks and kills a lot of people like they did last night in Bama, it’s usually that they suspect the victims of spying for the rival ISWAP or the military,” Adebayo explained.
Boko Haram, which began its insurgency in 2009 seeking to impose strict Islamic rule and reject Western education, has killed an estimated 35,000 civilians and displaced more than 2 million, according to U.N. figures. After leader Abubakar Shekau’s death in 2021, the group fractured: Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) generally targets military positions, while JAS increasingly preys on civilians, kidnapping for ransom and looting villages.
Darul Jamal had only been re-established in July after years of abandonment from earlier Boko Haram raids. Kaana Ali, a resident who lost close friends, said the latest bloodshed convinced him to leave. “But the governor is still begging us to stay back as more protection would be provided to secure our community,” he noted.
READ ALSO: Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa jailed in Finland for 6 years
