Boko Haram attacks military base in Borno, kills Army commander, 19 soldiers
By Emma Ogbuehi
Terrorists, suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), have reportedly attacked a military base in Malam-Fatori, the headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area, killing a military commander, two senior officers, and 17 soldiers.
This is the second of such attacks in recent time. A similar incident occurred a few weeks ago when terrorists invaded a military base in the Sabon Gari community of Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, killing several soldiers, including officers.
According to Vanguard reports, the incident occurred two days after the killing of 20 fishermen in the Gadan Gari fishing community of Bama Local Government Area, Borno State, on Wednesday, by the group.
Bama is located in Borno Central, while Malam-Fatori, in the northern part of the state, lies near the border with the Republic of Niger.
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It was gathered that the attackers, who stormed the Malam-Fatori military base, wreaked havoc for several hours on Friday, 24 January 2025, before dislodging the 149 Battalion. Survivors of the deadly attack reportedly fled to safety.
Vanguard quotes intelligence sources as confirming that the insurgents arrived at the base in multiple gun trucks, razing several buildings and military operational vehicles during the assault.
“Many soldiers were seriously injured, and a yet-to-be-ascertained number of personnel remain missing as of Saturday.
“The commanding officer of the battalion, two senior officers, including the base medical director, were among those killed. This comes just days after the terror group launched a brutal attack on the military’s Forward Operating Base in Damboa, killing an unconfirmed number of soldiers, with many still missing.
“The 25 Taskforce Brigade was attacked over the weekend with heavy casualties. So far, over seven bodies have been recovered. The terror group invaded the FOB Sabon Gari camp around 4 am on Saturday, using various weapons,” the medium cited a source as saying.
Meanwhile, in the Gadan Gari attack in Bama, Modu Ari, a member of the civilian joint task force, reported that insurgents stormed the fishing community on Wednesday at about 11:00 am, opening fire on fishermen, killing at least 20.
Mustapha Kachallah, a resident, said his child was killed in the attack, and they had buried more than 15 people.
The military and Borno State officials have yet to comment on the attacks. Since November last year, there has been a resurgence of terrorist attacks across Borno State.
Barely two weeks ago, least 40 farmers were reportedly killed in the Dumba community in the Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, with the whereabouts of several others unknown following an attack by the terrorists believed to be members of Boko Haram and ISWAP. It was gathered that the attack also left dozens of farmers missing. Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar, confirmed the attack in a statement
