Boko Haram militants have seized the border town of Kirawa in Borno State, forcing over 5,000 residents to flee to neighboring Cameroon.
The attack, which occurred on Thursday, left the town deserted, with insurgents setting fire to the military barracks and chanting “victory belongs to God.” The district head, Abdulrahman Abubakar, abandoned his palace, which was burned down along with several homes. “I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” Abubakar said. Residents boarded trucks to seek refuge across the border, while others ran to Maiduguri, the state capital.
This attack follows a similar assault on Banki, another border town, where Boko Haram fighters overran a military barracks, seizing weapons and forcing soldiers to retreat ¹.
In a related development, former President Goodluck Jonathan revealed that Boko Haram once nominated Muhammadu Buhari to represent them in peace talks with the Federal Government during his administration. Jonathan stressed that the insurgency is more complex than generally perceived, noting that the group’s access to sophisticated weaponry suggests external support.
He called for documentation of the insurgency from all sides to provide a comprehensive understanding of Boko Haram’s motives.
