Boko Haram terrorists have launched a deadly assault on a military base in Damboa Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, resulting in the deaths of dozens of soldiers, vigilantes, and the theft of military equipment.
Sources from both security forces and the local community confirmed the attack, which took place around 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Forward Operating Base in the Sabon Gari area.
According to one security official, the military fought valiantly but was overwhelmed by the insurgents. “The base has been targeted over 100 times in the past, but this attack was particularly devastating. Many soldiers and vigilantes were killed, and all the armaments in the base were taken. Additionally, operation vehicles and buildings were destroyed,” the source said.
The attack was preceded by a drone surveillance operation, which was initially thought to be a military reconnaissance mission. The insurgents, believed to be coordinating from the Mandara Mountains in Biu LGA, about 25 kilometers from the base, had taken over a mango plantation owned by a former Borno State commissioner, using it as a hideout.
Further reports revealed that in recent weeks, Boko Haram had been utilizing drones for surveillance between Chibok and Damboa. In one attack on December 24, 2024, drones were used to target a Forward Operating Base in Damboa, injuring six soldiers.
Despite the scale of the attack, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, spokesperson for the Defense Headquarters, downplayed it, describing the drone assault as mere harassment and referring to the drones as “toy drones.”
Additionally, some of the attackers were reportedly fleeing a military offensive in Lake Chad. These insurgents, dislodged by Chadian forces, joined the Boko Haram faction loyal to the late Abubakar Shekau. Chadian troops, currently stationed in the Lake Chad area, are engaged in ongoing operations, including on Nigerian soil, as part of a broader counter-insurgency effort.
The decade-long Boko Haram insurgency, which has spread across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, has led to tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.