Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have invaded Bitirhuya community in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, killing four residents and setting many houses ablaze after looting food items. The attack, which occurred between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026, saw the assailants gain entry into the community on motorcycles, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to scamper for safety. Amid the confusion, four people were gunned down. The fresh attack came barely a week after the terrorists killed 12 people in Nzangola village of Gombi Local Government Area of the state, in a raid that also saw a church set alight and shops looted.
The Chairman of Hong Local Government Council, Hon. Aliyu Sa'ad Yerima, confirmed the incident on Monday, September 14, 2026. He said the suspected Boko Haram terrorists killed four people and set many houses ablaze during the attack on the Bitirhuya community. The council chairman, who visited the community to commiserate with the bereaved families, assured them of the government's efforts to improve security in the area. He vowed to take decisive action against criminal elements across the LGA, restating his commitment to restoring peace to all parts of the council area. He urged residents to always alert security personnel on the movement of people with questionable characters and to expose informants in their midst. "Any individuals found in the habit of harbouring criminals, collaborating with insurgents, or sabotaging local peace would face the full wrath of the law," Yerima warned.
The attack on Bitirhuya is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing and escalating pattern of violence that has turned Hong Local Government Area into one of the most dangerous places in Adamawa State. In July 2026, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Zah and Mubang communities in Yadul District of Hong, barely days after deadly assaults on Banga and Bitirhuya in Dugwaba District. In August 2026, a police inspector and seven civilians were killed when suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Gaya community in Hong Local Government Area on a Monday night. In September 2026, the terrorists killed 12 people in Nzangola village of Gombi Local Government Area, a community that borders Hong. The frequency and ferocity of these attacks have created a climate of perpetual fear, forcing hundreds of families to abandon their homes and farms, disrupting agricultural activities, and pushing communities to the brink of collapse.
The geography of the crisis is crucial to understanding why Hong LGA has become such a frequent target. The local government area sits in close proximity to the Sambisa Forest, a long-standing Boko Haram and ISWAP stronghold. The forest provides cover for insurgents, allowing them to launch attacks on nearby communities and retreat into the bush before security forces can respond. The attackers on Sunday rode into Bitirhuya on motorcycles, a tactic that has become common in the region. Motorcycles give the insurgents speed and mobility, allowing them to strike quickly and disappear into the surrounding terrain. The fact that they were able to operate for nearly an hour in the community, looting food items and setting houses ablaze, speaks to a security vacuum that the authorities have not been able to fill.
The human cost of the attack extends far beyond the four people killed. Houses were destroyed, food items were looted, and families were left without shelter or sustenance. The attack occurred just days after 12 people were killed in Nzangola, a community that also lost a church to fire and had shops looted. Adamawa State has now recorded at least three major insurgent attacks across two local government areas within roughly a week. The residents of Bitirhuya and neighbouring villages remain on high alert, uncertain of what comes next and whether the government will finally take the decisive action needed to protect them.
The locals have appealed to Federal and State authorities to urgently scale up security interventions to permanently neutralise the threat and protect rural dwellers. But their appeals echo those made by countless other communities across Adamawa and the wider North-East, where similar attacks have been met with condolences, promises of action, and little else. The military has recorded some successes, including the recent dislodging of a Boko Haram camp in the Koppre mountain area of Hong LGA, where over 20 terrorists were reportedly killed. But these operations, however successful in isolation, have not been sufficient to stem the tide. The insurgents adapt, they regroup, and they strike again.
The attack on Bitirhuya is a tragedy, but it is also a question that every Nigerian must confront: how many more communities must be attacked before the government finds a way to protect its citizens? How many more funerals must be held in Hong LGA before the security architecture in the region is strengthened? How many more mothers must bury their sons, how many more children must be orphaned, how many more homes must be reduced to ashes before the authorities take the kind of decisive, sustained action that the situation demands? The residents of Bitirhuya have been left to mourn their dead, count their losses, and wonder when the nightmare will finally end. For now, all they can do is wait and hope that the next attack does not come before the government finally acts.
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