Boko Haram Strikes Again: Two Military Bases Raided in Borno

Boko Haram is back at it again, and this time, they’ve gone after two army formations in Borno State. These relentless terrorists stormed the Wajirko military base in Damboa and another in Wulgo village, near Gamboru Ngala, shaking up the region with yet another wave of violence.

The attack didn’t stop there. In a tragic twist, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) went off along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road, hitting the convoy of the newly deployed Brigade Commander of ‘Operation Hadin Kai.’ Sadly, at least two soldiers lost their lives, while several others, including the commander himself, sustained injuries.

This is happening just as the government and security agencies were considering reopening the 185km Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway, which has been unsafe for years. Looks like Boko Haram had other plans.

Sources say the terrorists ambushed the Wajirko and Wulgo army formations on Monday, catching the troops off guard. The attack forced soldiers to retreat temporarily, but reports indicate that some insurgents were taken down in the firefight.

Wulgo, in particular, is a high-stakes zone. It houses a joint military base for Nigerian and Cameroonian troops and sits right on the border between the two countries. This means any attack there sends shockwaves beyond Nigeria.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, didn’t hold back his frustration. In a chat with journalists in Maiduguri, he slammed the federal government for not doing enough to crush Boko Haram. He acknowledged the efforts of the military but insisted that it’s time to get serious and deploy high-tech warfare, including drones, to wipe out these terrorists once and for all.

The senator also raised alarms over increasing cases of kidnappings along the Maiduguri-Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu road. One of the most recent victims? Professor Abubakar El-Jummah is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Nigerian Army University, Biu. He’s still in captivity, along with several others, making this road a no-go area for many travelers.

For those living in southern Borno, things are getting worse. Communities in Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Chibok, Damboa, Biu, and Hawul have been under attack, with properties destroyed and innocent people caught in the crossfire.

The worst part? Even the supposedly “safer” Maiduguri-Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu road is now a danger zone. If you’re in Biu, Hawul, or Kwaya Kusar and need to get to Maiduguri, your only real option is to take a detour through Gombe State, turning what should be a two-hour trip into a grueling 12-hour journey.

Senator Ndume is urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government to take immediate action. He’s pushing for what he calls the TEAM strategy train: Equip, Arm, and Motivate the Nigerian military and other security forces. Without this, he fears Boko Haram, kidnappers, and bandits will continue to wreak havoc, not just in the North East but across the entire country.

With the government promising to reopen major roads and the military trying to regain control, the big question remains will things get better, or is this just the beginning of another round of Boko Haram’s deadly campaign?