Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Pierre Antoine
Suspected insurgents widely believed to be members of Boko Haram carried out a deadly raid on villages in Adamawa State, killing at least 18 people, burning homes and prompting condemnation from both local residents and state authorities. The attacks, which occurred late on Tuesday night, have heightened security concerns in an area that has endured persistent militant violence for more than a decade.
The coordinated attacks struck the Kirchinga community in Madagali Local Government Area late on Tuesday evening. Witnesses and local officials reported that gunmen arrived under cover of darkness, firing sporadically and prompting widespread panic among residents. Some attempted to flee into bushes or neighboring settlements to evade the gunfire. Houses, shops and other structures were set ablaze during the raid, compounding the destruction and leaving many families homeless.
Local leaders and eyewitnesses recovered at least 18 bodies from the scene in Kirchinga after the attackers swept through the village. The victims included women and children, and additional bodies may still be unaccounted for, according to residents. Attackers were reported to have worn military camouflage, apparently deceiving some villagers into initially believing they were government troops before the violence erupted.
The violence in Kirchinga forms part of a broader pattern of insurgent activity in Madagali and neighboring areas along the Sambisa Forest corridor, a dense woodland that has long served as a stronghold and transit route for Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). That proximity has made the locality particularly vulnerable to raids despite ongoing counterinsurgency operations by federal forces.
In response to the attack, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, governor of Adamawa State, travelled to the affected area to console grieving families, assess the destruction and pledge state support. In public remarks, Fintiri condemned the assault as a “cowardly act of terrorism” and vowed enhanced collaboration with security agencies to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities. He urged residents to remain calm and continue their daily activities while security forces work to track down the perpetrators and restore stability.
Governor Fintiri also warned insurgents that they would not be allowed to derail ongoing peace and stability efforts and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property. He emphasized the need for continued intelligence sharing between local residents and security forces to improve early warning and response systems.
State police officials acknowledged that the death toll represents confirmed recoveries as of Wednesday morning but cautioned that casualty figures could rise as search and rescue teams continue operations. Several injured survivors were reportedly transported to medical facilities for treatment, and displacement is rising as families seek refuge in safer towns.
The Madagali attack is the latest in a series of insurgent incursions affecting the area. Local reports and regional news outlets note that this is not the first time Madagali has been targeted; the locality has endured multiple assaults over recent months and years due to its strategic location near insurgent hideouts and border terrain that complicates military access and operations.
Residents described chaotic scenes as gunmen entered Kirchinga and nearby Shuwari villages, with some saying attackers called out names of villagers during the raid, suggesting local knowledge of those targeted. Some sources claimed that attacks have occurred multiple times in recent months, and community members expressed fear that the frequency of raids reflects broader gaps in rural security coverage.
Humanitarian needs are growing in the aftermath of the raids. Entire households have been displaced, with many seeking shelter with relatives or in temporary camps. Loss of homes, livestock and food supplies has heightened the sense of crisis, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women and children. Local leaders have appealed for more robust and sustained security deployments, as well as humanitarian assistance to support displaced families.
The federal security response to this and other recent attacks has not been comprehensively detailed, but officials continue to report joint patrols and clearance operations in insurgent-affected corridors. Security analysts suggest ongoing efforts to combine ground forces with aerial surveillance and increased intelligence gathering, although persistent challenges remain due to landscape ruggedness and insurgent adaptability.
The Madagali attack underscores the enduring fragility of security in northeastern Nigeria despite years of military campaigns against Boko Haram and allied militant groups. While large-scale territorial control by insurgents has diminished since the peak of the conflict, asymmetric operations such as night raids and ambushes continue to inflict casualties and displace civilians, perpetuating fear and instability across rural communities.
As authorities continue to verify casualty figures and expand security measures, the residents of Adamawa are left to confront both the human and economic toll of recurrent violence. The response in coming days will be critical in determining whether renewed initiatives can offer meaningful protection for communities that have endured years of insurgent threat.
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