IN a renewed orgy of terror, Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents have, within the last couple of months, intensified coordinated assaults on communities across the North-East States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, targeting mostly military formations. The terrorists, armed with sophisticated weaponry, have killed scores of soldiers, and either carted away or destroyed equipment, drawing national attention. In exclusive encounters with The ICIR, two ex-commanders of the dreaded group gave insights into why repentant members are sliding back into the trenches and launching coordinated assault on communities in the region.

Harvest of attacks

THE rat-a-tat-tat burst of awful sounds, like those of submachine guns spitting pellets of death, rattled the vicinity of the Forward Operation Base of the 153 Battalion in Marte LGA of Borno State with deafening intensity. It was in the wee hours of Monday, May 12, 2025 and the dusty community had been eerily quiet. As the military base slumbered, the silence was shattered by the sound of intense gunfire and explosions.

Members of the Boko Haram splinter group – the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP), armed to the teeth, had stormed the base, catching the soldiers off guard.

The attackers, numbering dozens, targeted key installations, including armoury, reportedly killing seven soldiers and seizing three-gun trucks. They were also said to have set fire to military equipment, vehicles and buildings, engulfing the base in flames. The armoury was reportedly looted with weapons and ammunition carted.

Although the embattled soldiers quickly regrouped and fought back, engaging the terrorists in a fierce battle, they were vastly outnumbered, and the attackers’ superior firepower took its toll.

=Troops of the Nigerian Army. PC: Daily Trust

By dawn, the attack was over, and the base lay in ruins. The soldiers who had survived were, shell-shocked and grief-stricken.

The attack on the Marte military base was a stark reminder of the threat posed by renewed wave of terror by insurgents in the North-East, despite the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers who fight to defeat them against overwhelming odds.

Ex-Boko Haram commanders speak on renewed attacks

Multiple sources, including ex-commanders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, who are among the over 30,000 that reportedly renounced the sect following overtures by government, have revealed to The ICIR why many of the ‘surrenderers’ were going back to the trenches to launch renewed attacks in the troubled region.

The commanders are among the over 400 members of the sect from Borno State who were profiled and engaged by the military to support its counter insurgency operations in the  region, following their defection from the terror sect.

After being profiled, they were engaged as hybrid by the military to aid their counter insurgency operations due to their knowledge and understanding of the terrain. Hybrids are surrendered members of the insurgency group who are co-opted by the military to assist in the counter insurgency efforts.

One of the group’s ex-top commanders revealed to The ICIR that many of the surrendered commanders have gone back to the trenches because the Nigerian government has failed to keep to promises made when they surrendered. He listed the promises to include, houses and skills acquisition training.

The ex-commander (names withheld for security reason), who was among the lieutenants of Abubakar Shekau, the late leader of the group, said, “When the Nigerian government came up with the option of surrendering, some of us decided to embrace it so as to assist and reintegrate with our families.

“We felt it was better for us to lay down our arms rather than continue to stay in the bush and spill innocent blood. That was why we heeded the call of government and our family members to surrender.

“We abandoned our belongings and property; including livestock, in Sambisa Forest and were deployed to the theatre formations in the North-East to aid in their operations.”

The commander, who defected three years ago, disclosed that apart from belonging to the hybrid, he has personally participated in persuading other members who also left Sambisa to surrender.

He said even though he has resisted the temptation to go back to Sambisa, “One of my wives has run back to the forest due to hardship.”

He added, “We submitted ourselves with the willingness to assist the government in ending the insurgency. Due to our constant appeals, many others left Sambisa and surrendered.

 “Unfortunately, many commanders were forced to return to Sambisa due to hardship and lack of assistance from the government.

“They were plunged into deep hardship which is why they returned and are currently carrying out attacks,” he said, adding that life in Sambisa was far better than what the repentant terrorists were experiencing outside.

“Aside terrorist attacks, we were farming and getting enough to fend for ourselves and families. We had livestock and engaged in businesses that took many of us to several countries, including Dubai,” he said, adding that all that had changed.

Although he did not specify the kind of businesses that took them to Dubai, The ICIR reports that in 2019 six Nigerians were convicted by an Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over alleged funding of Boko Haram. Dubai is in the UAE. The families of the convicts had alleged “frame up” claiming they had been doing legitimate bureau de change business in the UAE before their arrest.

Another ex-commander of the group from the ISWAP faction who is also assisting the military in the North-East said he regretted leaving his ‘comfort zone’ in the Sambisa Forest.

The ex-commander, who also sought identity protection for security reasons, said, “Each of us were given only N100,000 cash upon surrendering by the government and promised a house and skill acquisition training, among others.

“But none of these promises has been fulfilled, leaving us in untold hardship which has led to many of the surrenderers returning to Sambisa,” he said.

The commander who disclosed that he took part in the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, warned that if the right measures were not taken by government, many more surrendered Boko Haram members who are currently assisting the military would be compelled to go back to Sambisa Forest.

More attacks as local residents speak

Located 38 kilometres away from Dikwa, the headquarters of Dikwa Local Government (LGA) in the northern part of Borno State, Marte had remained an area of interest to terrorists since the early days of Boko Haram.

Local residents who spoke with The ICIR on the incident said the insurgents had infiltrated Marte from different directions, cordoned off the area and forced the soldiers to withdraw to Dikwa, a neighbouring community.

“The attack had caught the soldiers unawares,” a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force said, adding that apart from the seven soldiers killed, the whereabouts of a few others had remained unknown.

Another resident of Marte, who would not want to be named for security reasons, said the troops were overpowered during the assault.

“On that fateful Monday, the terrorists took control of Marte, killing at least seven soldiers. Many others fled and ran towards Dikwa and took refuge at the 24 Task Force Brigade.

Another source in Dikwa told The ICIR that gunfire was heard, and a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet was seen hovering over the area. “Operational vehicles were destroyed,” said the source, who wouldn’t want his name in print.

“It wasn’t long that the Malam Fatori military base was attacked where one of our commanders and many soldiers paid the supreme price,” a soldier said.

The Nigerian military later confirmed the series of recent attacks on its bases in parts of Borno State but reassured citizens of its capacity to subdue the terrorists.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, A.E. Abubakar, a Major General, confirmed the incidents at a press briefing in Maiduguri. Abubakar said while the attacks on Dikwa and Gajiram failed, troops slugged it out with the insurgents in Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge Local LGA.

The theatre commander who confirmed attacks on three military bases, and the death of four soldiers in Rann, said, “In the last two months, we have been re-strategising and reorganising. The Chief of Army Staff was here just a week ago, and several changes have been made in the theatre. I am one of such changes, having just taken over command three weeks ago.”

The ICIR gathered that since January this year, several military formations have been targeted in renewed wave of onslaught by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the Lake Chad region and the Mandara Hills in the dreaded Sambisa Forest areas of Borno and Yobe states. In Adamawa State, communities in Hong LGA were targeted with devastating consequences, prompting the Senate to pass a resolution requesting the federal government to establish a military base in the area.

It was gathered that while tension had risen to a fever pitch over the Marte incident, less than 24 hours after, the insurgents also attacked three more military bases in Dikwa, Rann, and Gajiram.

However, in Dikwa, the terrorists were said to have had a fierce battle with Nigerian Army troops. A source who disclosed that the Dikwa attack was carried out about 13 hours after that of Marte, said the troops “dealt with the insurgents,” adding that it was quelled by the army, air force, and the civilian joint task force fighters after an hour.

The insurgents were also reported to have attacked the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge LGA of Borno State, almost at the same time as they attacked Dikwa.

Sources said the attack was targeted at the military formation with heavy machinery, casting fear among the people of the community.

Terrorists’ two factions

Politicians, military officers aiding Boko Haram – Governor Zulum 

Governor Babagana Zulum who visited Marte in the wake of the attacks appealed to the federal government to deploy strategies that would ensure that the town does not fall to the insurgents again.

Zulum accused some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces of serving as informants and working with Boko Haram insurgents.

The ICIR reported that in an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central, the governor said, “We should not politicise insecurity. The president needs to listen to the people who can tell them the right thing. He should listen to the Army.”

He said the real challenge was not insurgents who had laid down their arms, but the saboteurs among politicians, the armed forces and within local communities who fuel the insurgency.

“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces and within the communities…”

Earlier on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Zulum had condemned the spate of attacks in various parts of the state. While sympathising with the victims of a bomb blast along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, which occurred on Monday, May 12, Zulum said, “These acts of terror are deeply condemnable. The recent tragic loss of our education staff, gallant troops, and innocent civilians is a painful reminder of the challenges we continue to face.

“I am more determined than ever to support the military, security agencies, and our volunteer forces in the fight to end terrorism and insurgency in our state.

“The recent surge in attacks will not deter our resolve to tackle the scourge of the 16-year-long insurgency. I urge the people of Borno to remain resilient and prayerful. This is a partial eclipse, and we shall overcome it,” Zulum said through his spokesperson, Dauda Illiya.

Also, the Emir of Gwoza, Mohammed Shehu Timta, had cause to express worries following the death of an army captain and a private soldier during a deadly attack by on Izge community in Gwoza LGA of the state.  Local sources, however, informed The ICIR in Gwoza that the Izge assault was met with fierce resistance from the military, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), local hunters, vigilantes, and members of the community.

In the ensuing confrontation, three suspected terrorists were reportedly killed, and several items recovered from the assailants, including over ten bicycles and motorcycles, an operational vehicle, and a sophisticated rifle with ammunition.

Confirming the attack, the Emir described it as tragic but praised the swift and coordinated response of security forces and community members, which helped repel the insurgents.

“My people in the Izge community came under Boko Haram invasion today at about 1 a.m. Unfortunately, a captain and a soldier paid the supreme price,” the Emir said, adding that “In a brave and swift reaction, the attack was repelled with the killing of three terrorists.”

Further attacks after defence chief visited

The ICIR gathered that hours after the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, concluded a visit to Maiduguri to assess the security situation and assure residents of strengthened military efforts, Malam Karanti, a village near Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area of Northern Borno State also came under attack by ISWAP elements.

The sun had barely risen over the sprawling fishing community when the calm was shattered by the invasion of the assailants. The terrorists, hiding in the shadows of the Lake Chad, had gathered their victims, primarily fishermen, beans farmers, and executed them, using axes and machetes, according to local and security sources.

The attack on Malam Karanti which occurred on Friday May 16, 2025, resulted in the deaths of at least 20 farmers and fishermen, with more than 10 others abducted.

In a second incident, the insurgents carried out a destructive raid on Wulgo community, near Gamboru Ngala where they razed a hospital, a military base, and a school.

Yobe, Adamawa not spared

ln neighbouring Yobe State, suspected Boko Haram terrorists had attacked the 27 Task Force Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area.

The incident, which reportedly led to the killing of at least four soldiers and destruction of several operational equipment occurred at a time when the new Theatre Commander,  Abdulsalam Abubakar, a Major General, took over the mantle of leadership, after his predecessor, Waidi Shaibu, also a Major General, was removed.

It also occurred less than 24 hours after Governor Mai Mala Buni hosted the 11^th North-East Governors’ meeting in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. Buni Yadi, a distance of 65km from Damaturu, is the hometown of Governor Buni.

Multiple sources informed The ICIR that the terrorists who stormed the military formation under the cover of darkness, caught the soldiers off guard as they moved swiftly, targeting strategic positions within the Brigade. Although the military responded with force, the insurgents had already achieved their objective, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.

A security source told The ICIR in Damaturu that the assailants stormed their location around 2:am on the fateful Saturday and opened fire.

“We were taken off guard by the heavy explosion and gunfire, but we stood our ground. A lot of our fighting equipment were destroyed during the encounter.

“Sadly, we lost four of our men, just as they (terrorists) also recorded casualties during the fierce battle that lasted for hours,” said the source who sought identity protection.”

The ICIR reports that the Nigeria army headquarters had confirmed the attack via its verified Facebook page, saying “Troops of Operation HADIN KAI are in a fierce battle against ISWAP attack at Buni Gari, Yobe State. Details later.”

Governor Buni had visited the headquarters of 27 the Task Force Brigade to commiserate with the troops over the attack.

During the visit, the governor announced a donation of N2 million each for families of fallen soldiers and N1 million each for the injured personnel.

Buni also pledged educational support to the children of the deceased soldiers and a donation of N50 million to be shared among troops of the brigade, in addition to food items, mattresses, blankets and other essential supplies from the state government.

In Adamawa State, seven people were reportedly killed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in attacks on communities in Hong on Tuesday April 15, 2025.

According to residents the insurgents poured into the communities on the fateful day and left a trail of death and destruction, leading to the killing of six victims, including a vigilante who was hit by a detonated bomb in Banga.

The attack in Banga was said to have claimed three other lives in all; two men shot dead by the insurgents and a woman who fell and died as she made to run away. Two deaths were also recorded in a nearby village called Larh, bringing the accounted number of the dead in the two communities to six, according to locals.

Among assets that were destroyed was a police van from Garaha which was stationed in Banga but destroyed by a bomb, although all the occupants were spared as they had evacuated the vehicle before explosion.

In a separate attack on five villages – Kwapre, Dabna, Garha, Lar and Za – in the same Hong LGA of Adamawa State on April 26, Boko Haram insurgents launched a deadly assault on Kwapre village, killing 12 hunters and members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in an ambush.

Kwapre, which shares border with the Sambisa Forest – a notorious Boko Haram hideout – has been vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The slain civilian JTF members were said to be from Hawul LGA in Borno State, while the hunters were drawn from various LGAs within Adamawa State, who had been collaborating with security agencies to counter insurgency in the region.

It was gathered that since 2024, the community had suffered repeated assaults from terrorists, resulting in numerous deaths, abductions and widespread destruction.

Senate seeks military base in Adamawa

Amid rising attacks in Adamawa, the Senate on May 21, 2025, urged the federal government to establish a military base in Hong LGA to tackle insecurity.

The call followed a motion by a senator, Aminu Abbas (PDP) titled “Resurgence of Boko Haram Activities in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas of Adamawa and other North-East State”.

“We need a full-fledged military base in Hong to support existing personnel and repel further attacks,” Abbas said.

He also warned that the violence was crippling local economies, “Thousands have been displaced. People can no longer farm or trade as they used to. The resurgence is not limited to Adamawa alone; Borno and Yobe States are also affected.”

Experts, others weigh in

Ibrahim Umara, a professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Maiduguri, said the renewed wave of attacks were meant to draw attention to the authorities that they are still there and active.

According to him, the over-concentration of attention by the current government on the North-West security crisis by redeploying most of the personnel from the North-East region was one of the reasons for renewed attacks by the insurgents.

“The current government gave both the Minister of Defence and that of State to the North-West which has diverted attention from the North-East.

“The Federal Government may have thought that the issue of Boko Haram in the North-East had been completely decapacitated and no longer a threat. As a result, the armed forces made a mistake by focussing -in line with political decisions- of redeploying most of the personnel from the theatre of operations in the North-East, Umara said.

Bunu Bukar Mustapha, Secretary Borno State Hunters Association, blamed the attacks on the failure of government to assist those that have repented with jobs.

“Lack of jobs or something doing led them back to the bushes, Bakar said, adding, “Most of the militants ran away within Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States territories, to Mali, Central African Republic, Niger and Chad where they regroup and obtain more arms to come back and fight.”

On why the insurgents are targeting the military, Bukar said the insurgents want to dominate “The reason is simply because if the military are eliminated, nobody will face them (terrorists).”

Bukar, however, said members of the Hunters Association, who assist the military, police and other security outfits in counter insurgency fight, have recorded successes in the past.

Other sources told The ICIR that the aggrieved repentant Boko Haram elements may have resorted to serving as informants and logistics suppliers to their colleagues that have returned to the trenches.

How we are dealing with the situation – Borno, Yobe governments

The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, told The ICIR that the state government was investing heavily in non kinetic approach, especially in the area of infrastructure, in order to address the root causes of terrorists’ resurgence in the state.

“The state government has also set up social orientation programme under its 25-year development plan. The government has established the Judicial Transition Programme which allows victims and perpetrators of the violence that have been properly processed to sit down under the alternative dispute resolution to reconcile and live together.

“Another way is through the local government security council. Each of the 27 LGAs in the state has a security council comprising all the critical stakeholders; especially heads of military agencies, other security agencies and traditional rulers.

“They all sit, at least once in a month or when necessary to consider ways and means of securing lives and property of civilians.

He said under the transitional justice programme of the state government, the state has the, Reconciliation and Peace Building Committees comprising LG Chairmen, traditional rulers, community leaders, heads of military agencies.

“Under this platform if there are conflicts between returnee Boko Haram members who have been profiled and cleared and the community, or between those that are perceived to be of high risk to the community, the committee sits and uses alternative dispute resolution to bring peace among them.”

For his part, the Special Adviser to the Yobe State Government on Security, Abdulasalam Dahiru, a retired Brigadier General said the State government assists the military in the fight against insurgency by providing intelligence information.

“If there is information on the movement of the insurgents the government ensures such information is passed appropriately.

“Also, the state government provides infrastructure such as roads while creating access for the military to carry out their operations. As far as recruitment is concerned, government continuously sensitises the communities against the dangers of getting involve.

He, however, pointed out that the issues of poverty, illiteracy and youth unemployment must be addressed holistically.

“Most of these youths are ignorant and are usually carried away by the insurgents. But we continue to sensitise them through community and religious leaders.

Loss of soldiers Regrettable – Army Chief

The Chief of Army Staff, Olatunbosun Oluyede, a Lieutenant General, has described the loss of soldiers in the renewed attacks by insurgents in the North-East as regrettable.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Chief of Army first bi-annual conference  held at the Command Guest House Maiduguri on May 20, 2025, Oluyede said, “The loss of these brave men is deeply regrettable and serves as a painful reminder of the depth of sacrifice that the officers and men of the Nigerian Army continue to make in defence of our great nation Nigeria.

While acknowledging that the terrorists have adopted new strategies aimed at shaping the battle space in their favour, the Army Chief said, “We must not allow these setbacks to dampen our spirit or diminish our collective resolve to stamp out that which seeks to ridicule the sanctity of our sovereignty.

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, a General, who was in Maiduguri to access the security situation following the attacks attributed the renewed attacks to pressure on terrorists being mounted on terrorist groups in the Sahel region.

Musa, who fielded questions from journalists at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri said the pressure had forced the terrorists to intensify operations in Nigeria, particularly around the porous Chad borders.

He, however, assured that “We have procured more sophisticated weapons which will soon be deployed alongside new strategies to end the madness of terrorism.”

Fidelis Mac-Leva

Fidelis Mac-Leva is the Deputy Editor of The ICIR/Head of Investigation. He has previously worked with several media outfits in Nigeria, including DAILY TIMES and DAILY TRUST. A compellingly readable Features writer, his forte is Public Interest Journalism which enables him to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted..." He can be reached via fmacleva@icirnigeria.org, @FidelisLeva on X