At least 26 people have been killed in Borno State after a deadly improvised explosive device (IED) attack blamed on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The attack, which happened around 11am last Friday near Rann in Kala-Balge Local Government Area, initially claimed 17 lives, but more bodies were recovered by Monday, raising the death toll.
ISWAP confirmed responsibility for the bombing through a message posted on Telegram, according to international news agency Reuters. The explosion struck a passenger vehicle along the Furunduma axis, killing four women, six children, and several other civilians.
This attack adds to a wave of deadly incidents in Borno State. On Tuesday, two soldiers were killed by another landmine explosion along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, near Nyeliri village in Konduga Local Government Area. The road remains one of the most dangerous in the state despite military escorts.
In separate attacks, six charcoal hawkers were slaughtered in Mulgoi last Friday, and two farmers were killed on Sunday along Kanama Road in Damboa while clearing land for the rainy season.
Reacting to the spate of attacks, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) called on the Federal Government to urgently strengthen the military’s capacity. He said the frequent killings showed that insurgents were regaining strength and operating with little resistance.
“Our people deserve to live in peace. The military is doing its best, but they need more weapons and support,” Ndume said.
Damboa’s District Head, Alhaji Lawan Maina, also expressed concern about the increasing boldness of the attackers, saying movement and farming in the area had become life-threatening.
Borno State has been a hotspot of insurgency for over 15 years, with thousands killed and millions displaced. Despite military claims of having “technically defeated” Boko Haram and ISWAP, recent attacks tell a different story, particularly in rural and remote communities.
