Boko Haram/ISWAP attack kills vigilante commander, four others in Borno
Suspected members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have attacked the Wumbi community in the Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State, resulting in the death of a vigilante commander and four civilians.
The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident this week, stating that the attack left five individuals dead. He indicated that further details would be released as they become available.
Sources report that the attack occurred on Monday, September 21, but information was delayed due to poor telecommunications service in the area. Eyewitnesses stated that a large group of attackers, armed with rifles and improvised explosive devices, descended on the community, causing farmers to flee.
According to reports, the vigilante commander was captured and killed by the assailants, who allegedly placed an explosive device on his body before retreating. In the aftermath, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), vigilantes, and local residents attempted to recover the remains. However, there was a secondary explosion that claimed the lives of four additional individuals and injured many others.
Wumbi, an agricultural community near the Cameroon border, has seen a significant decrease in its population due to ongoing insecurity. Some residents have reportedly relocated across the border, returning only to farm under the protection of CJTF members and local vigilantes.
The circumstances of the attack have not been independently verified.
In response to the tragedy, Mustapha Babani, the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge Federal Constituency in the upcoming 2027 elections, extended his condolences to the families affected and the residents of Wumbi.
