“We Are Now in Control of Ngoshe”: Group Claims Responsibility for Borno Massacre, Abduction of Over 300 Residents

An unidentified armed group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, where numerous soldiers and civilians were killed and more than 300 residents abducted on Wednesday night.

The attackers reportedly stormed the town, set fire to a military base, and opened fire across the community. Homes and shops were also burned during the assault.

In a video circulating on Friday, five men appearing in the recording said they carried out the operation and intend to take control of the town. One of the speakers, addressing viewers in Hausa, said the group had entered the central mosque in Ngoshe and planned to remain in the area.

He stated that the attackers had killed both men and women during the raid and taken others captive. According to him, the group intends to hold the abducted residents as slaves.

The speaker also declared that the group plans to mark the upcoming Eid-el-Fitr prayers in Ngoshe after the end of Ramadan, describing the town as territory they now control.

Additional footage released by the group showed scenes from the attack, including violent acts against residents.

Residents who escaped the assault said the attackers remained in the town for several hours before aircraft from the military’s Operation Hadin Kai intervened, forcing them to withdraw toward nearby forests.

Many survivors fled with little or no belongings and are now scattered across nearby communities. Some expressed concern about elderly residents and bodies left behind in the village during the chaos.

Police confirmed the incident but said the exact number of casualties and missing persons has not yet been determined.

The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said several residents remain unaccounted for and may have been taken toward the Mandara Mountains.

The Borno State government said it is working to verify the number of victims while providing assistance to those displaced by the attack.

The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said displaced residents have been gathered in Pulka, another town in Gwoza LGA, where emergency supplies are being distributed.

According to him, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency has dispatched relief materials, including rice, sugar, millet, and blankets, to affected households.

Tar added that health and sanitation teams have also been sent to the area to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks, while security forces are maintaining a corridor to allow aid deliveries to reach the displaced population.