Over 5,000 people have reportedly fled to Cameroon after Boko Haram invaded the border town of Kirawa in Borno state on Thursday.
According to Reuters, the attack forced residents to abandon homes that were set ablaze alongside a military barracks.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack in a video showing fighters burning the barracks while chanting “victory belongs to God.”
Abdulrahman Abubakar, the district head of the community, said residents had no other choice. “I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” he said, adding that “residents boarded trucks to seek refuge across the border, while others ran to Maiduguri.”
Boko Haram insurgents in Borno have intensified assaults on both civilians and security targets in recent weeks.
Since the start of the year, the group has reportedly seized several army bases and communities in the state, with the military pushing back through periodic reinforcements.
On Monday, Boko Haram attacked Kirawa, killing two people and burning the district head’s house, several homes, vehicles, and construction equipment.
On Friday, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, urged the federal government and military authorities to deploy more soldiers to key border communities including Kirawa, Wulgo, Baga, Damasak, and Malam Fatori.
Zulum said he met with the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the general officer commanding the 7th division of the Nigerian Army, and the force commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
He noted that they agreed to send troops to Kirawa within a short period.
The governor also expressed regret that his earlier warnings to the military about the risks of leaving border towns unmanned — and his requests for deployment — had not been adequately addressed.
