Nigeria’s Boko Haram making gains again in Borno state, governor says

Boko Haram, the Islamist group in Nigeria, has intensified its attacks and abductions in Borno state’s northeast, facing minimal resistance from security forces, which indicates that authorities are losing control to the insurgents, according to the state’s governor.

Boko Haram and its affiliate, the Islamic State West Africa Province, have primarily functioned in northeastern Nigeria, assaulting security personnel and civilians, resulting in the deaths and displacement of tens of thousands.

“It is a setback in the fragile state of Borno and the North East region,” Zulum said during a meeting with security forces in Borno state capital Maiduguri on Tuesday.

Zulum added that “the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities, almost on a daily basis without confrontation, signalled that Borno state is losing ground.”

In recent years, Nigeria’s armed forces have successfully countered Boko Haram, while internal conflicts with ISWAP have further diminished the group’s strength.

Borno state governor Babagana Zulum stated that Boko Haram has recently intensified assaults, dislodging military units in various districts and resulting in the deaths of civilians and security personnel.

Boko Haram, located in Borno state, has evolved its strategies over time, incorporating drones for reconnaissance and assaults, according to the military.

Nigeria’s efforts in the northeast have been further complicated by Niger’s exit from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that combats armed Islamist factions in the Lake Chad area. The MNJTF comprises troops from Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.