Nigerian military offensive kills insurgents, but anxiety persists in Borno communities

Insurgency attacks have reduced significantly in Borno State in the past couple of weeks as the Nigerian military killed hundreds of insurgents and bombarded their hideouts across the Sambisa forest and Lake Chad region.

About 210 insurgents have surrendered to troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force since a new offensive began in May.

However, despite the successes recorded in the military operation, anxiety persists in many communities over the rise in suicide bombing cases.

Local community sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the insurgents were resorting to suicide bombing because the military has decimated their fighters.

“The insurgents are losing ground. Their number is shrinking because the military is now on top of the situation. A lot of their members are turning in their arms because they suspect some of their members are collaborating with the military to leak their locations,” a Civilian Joint Task Force member, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, told this reporter.

“The suicide bombing in Konduga was by a woman. A man noticed her moving around densely populated areas, pretending to be begging. It was in the course of interrogating her that she detonated the device,” a community leader in Konduga, who refused to be named, said.

“Suicide bombing is becoming rampant,” said Mallam Goni, a resident of Damboa. The government needs to deploy secret personnel.”

The insurgents target public places, including markets, worship centres, and routes.

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The threats of attacks discourage people from going to their farms and pursuing other means of livelihood, community members said.

Five attacks

In the past two weeks of the military operation, scores of insurgents were eliminated. However, at least 15 people died and scores of others were injured in five attacks in the state.

The attacks by the insurgents, including suicide bombings, occurred in Konduga, Goshe (Gwoza), Damboa, and Gamboru Ngala.

On 21 June, eleven people were killed by a female suicide bomber in a fish market in Konduga Local Government. The incident left at least 12 people hospitalised at the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital.

Community leaders said a woman pretending to be breastfeeding her child detonated the bomb.

Below is a timeline of the recent incidents:

22 June – A day after the Konduga suicide bombing incident, the military repelled an attack on its base in Goshe in the Gwoza Local Government Area. The local media and Zagazola Makama, a security expert, reported that the insurgents retreated with gunshot wounds.

25 June – 11 passengers were killed and 10 others injured in an explosion at Komala village in the Konduga Local Government Area on the Damboa-Maiduguri road. The police said the incident involved an Isuzu Pickup van taking passengers from Damboa to Maiduguri.

1 July – Eight insurgents were killed at the Manawaji area of Gamboru Ngala, Borno State, when they engaged soldiers in a battle. According to Reuben Kovangiya, spokesperson of the military’s Operation Hadin Kai, the defence forces, consisting of soldiers, CJTF, and hybrid forces, also known as repentant insurgents, recorded light casualties in the encounter.

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3 July – Soldiers killed two insurgents and inflicted gun wounds on scores of others in Gwoza and Mallam Fatori in the Abadam Local Government Area. When they encountered the soldiers, the insurgents were in transit in the Dar-Jamal area in the Miyanti axis. The soldiers recovered arms, including AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines, motorcycles, Baofeng radios, cell phones, hard drugs, medical drips, and mini solar panels from the terrorists.

5 July – The military discovered 56 improvised explosive devices under a bridge along the Marte-Dikwa road.

Military speaks on suicide bombings

While reacting to the discovery of the improvised explosive devices suspected to be planted by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the military said the number and placement of the devices were to cause mass casualties and to disrupt movement along the vital route.

“This successful operation has prevented a potentially catastrophic attack and reaffirms the vigilance, expertise, and commitment of Nigerian troops in safeguarding key infrastructure and civilian lives within the North East theatre,” a statement by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters on their Facebook page read.

The police, however, called on the public to be vigilant and report suspicious movement.

Governor Zulum seeks solution to suicide bombing

In his reaction, Governor Babagana Zulum noted that the suicide bombings occurred mainly in centres of illicit activities and asked the state assembly to review local laws to ban such centres.

He noted that drug dealers dislodged from the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council relocated to rural areas like Konduga to continue their activities and harbour criminals.

On Friday, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, visited front-line troops in the North-east.

The minister, speaking at the Borno State Government House, said the visit was to assess the security situation in the state and to discuss the way forward with the state governor.