ISWAP Launches Brutal Attacks in Borno, Leaving 2 Dead, 2 Traditional Rulers Abducted

In a wave of violence, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has inflicted terror on the southern region of Borno State, resulting in the tragic deaths of two individuals and the abduction of two traditional rulers along with several others. These distressing events have unfolded over the past week in the Damboa Local Government Area.

ISWAP’s reign of terror escalated when they targeted the remote village of Burum, situated 20 kilometers along the Damboa/Biu highway. During this raid, the insurgents forcefully seized two traditional rulers, identified as Wakinlin Lawan and the Bulama of Burum village, who were representing the Ward Head and Village Head respectively. The motive behind their abduction was reported to be revenge for villagers allegedly leaking information about ISWAP movements to government troops.

A source close to the situation expressed grave concern, stating, “It is four days now, we are seriously worried about their safety and this ugly development. We are begging the government to intervene.”

In a separate series of attacks, ISWAP targeted two villages on Sunday night in Damboa, leaving two individuals dead and several others injured. Members of a vigilante group reported that five individuals were abducted during these harrowing incidents.

“In Mugule village, one person was killed, three were abducted, and one other sustained a gunshot wound in the abdomen on Sunday night. Also, in Azir village, one person was killed, one wounded, and two were taken by the attackers two days ago,” revealed a vigilante source.

In a significant development, Ali Gana Alhaji Ali, the Boko Haram Commander responsible for the Sambisa and Gwoza axis, met his demise at the hands of ISWAP fighters on Gwoza hill in Gwoza Local Government Area. Ali was known as one of the deadliest terrorist leaders in Borno and had caused immense suffering in the region. Security sources confirm that his death occurred during an ambush by ISWAP fighters on Sunday.

“He was the deputy of the late Ali Ngulde, and apart from Shekau, nobody killed human beings like him from Sambisa forest, Banking, and Bayan Dutsen Gwoza. He was a crude killer. His foot terrorists in Gwoza areas constantly instill fear upon communities, farmers, and commuters along Pulka, Banking, Bama, Gwoza Mubi routes. They take no prisoners, people are slaughtered in their farms on a weekly basis. Gwoza people will surely celebrate his demise,” a security source commented.

These incidents come over two years after the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, detonated himself during a confrontation with ISWAP fighters in May 2021. Last week, Usman Ahmed Jaha, the member representing Goza, Damboa, and Chibok federal constituency in the National Assembly, decried the alarming increase in farmer killings in the Goza axis, with ten farmers losing their lives in just ten days. He also highlighted the daily attacks on farmers in the area, which are aimed at deterring them from harvesting their food crops.