Terror Group Claims Responsibility For Borno Attack, Threatens Maiduguri, Abuja

A yet-to-be-identified terror group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area, where scores of soldiers and civilians were reportedly killed and more than 300 residents abducted on Wednesday night.

The attackers reportedly stormed the community, set a military base ablaze, fired sporadically and burned several houses and shops during the assault.

In a video seen by The PUNCH on Friday morning, five armed men claimed responsibility for the attack, declaring their intention to occupy the community.

Speaking in Hausa on behalf of the group, one of the men said they had already taken control of the town and planned to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr there.

“We thank God Almighty for helping us to succeed in our mission in Ngoshe. Today we are inside the central mosque in Ngoshe,” the speaker said.

“People in this town are saying that we cannot conquer Ngoshe. With the help of God, we have already conquered the town.”

The group also vowed to remain in the community and incorporate it into what they described as their “province.”

“By the grace of God, we are going to stay in Ngoshe and make it part of our province and we are going to do the Eid-el-Fitr Salah after the end of Ramadan in Ngoshe,” the speaker added.

The group further claimed responsibility for killing residents during the attack and abducting others.

According to the spokesperson in the video, some residents were taken away with the intention of enslaving them.

He said the group had killed both men and women during the raid and abducted several others.

The group further vowed to extend its terror activities to Maiduguri and Abuja.

The attackers also released disturbing footage from the scene showing victims being killed during the assault.

Following the attack, many residents fled Ngoshe and are currently scattered across nearby communities.

Survivors said they escaped the village in panic, leaving behind their belongings.

Residents also expressed concern about elderly people and bodies reportedly left behind in the community after the attackers dispersed villagers.

The attack lasted several hours before the air component of Operation Hadin Kai mobilised and forced the attackers to retreat into nearby forests.

The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack and said several residents were still missing.

“Although some unknown number of civilians yet to be ascertained were also affected or killed. Some are still missing and probably some were abducted and taken towards the Mandara Mountains,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said authorities were still verifying the number of victims.

“On missing persons, we are in the process of verification; the actual figure is yet to be ascertained,” he said.

Tar disclosed that displaced residents had been relocated to Pulka, another town in Gwoza Local Government Area, where emergency support was being provided.

According to him, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency had dispatched relief items to the victims.

“The items include rice, sugar, millet and blankets,” he said.

He added that healthcare and sanitation officials had also been deployed to the area to prevent disease outbreaks while the military continues to secure the corridor for the delivery of aid to survivors.