Manny Ita –
Nigerian troops have reportedly regained control of a military formation and surrounding areas in Ngoshe, a village in Borno State, following a fierce operation against insurgents linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
The recapture operation was carried out with support from the Civilian Joint Task Force and local hunters after terrorists earlier attacked the community, killing several people and abducting dozens of residents, including women and children. Reports indicate that the attackers had briefly overrun the military facility before troops mounted a counteroffensive to reclaim it.
According to a security source familiar with the operation, around 200 soldiers stationed in nearby Pulka were mobilised to Ngoshe last Friday. About 60 troops who had remained behind initially withdrew after spotting a large group of approaching insurgents, but reinforcements were later deployed, leading to an intense battle that eventually forced the militants out of the area.
“The soldiers are now in control of the facility and surrounding areas after the operation,” the source said.
The attack on Ngoshe was reportedly carried out jointly by fighters from Boko Haram and its rival faction, ISWAP. The village lies near the Mandara Mountains in the Gwoza area, where a Boko Haram commander identified as Ali Ngulde is believed to operate.
The reported recapture occurred shortly after Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, summoned the country’s service chiefs amid escalating insurgent attacks on military formations across the region. Mr Musa acknowledged that several military personnel had been killed in recent confrontations but said the insurgents suffered heavier losses during the engagements.
In recent days, militants have stepped up assaults on military bases in northeastern Nigeria. On Monday, ISWAP fighters attacked bases in Goniri and Kukawa in Borno State, killing a commanding officer, Umar Farouq, along with several soldiers. During the raid, insurgents also destroyed operational military vehicles.
Mr Farouq became the third senior military officer killed in less than a week in Borno State, underscoring the intensity of the renewed insurgent offensive. Despite the losses, the military said many terrorists were killed during the attack on the Kukawa base, while another security source said the raid on the Goniri base was repelled with support from the Nigerian Air Force.
Earlier attacks had targeted military camps in Mainok, Jakana, Marte and Konduga, also in Borno State, leaving a senior officer and several soldiers dead. The Nigerian Army said at the time that the assaults were repelled and that numerous militants were neutralised during the engagements.
Security analysts have linked the renewed wave of attacks to “Camp Holocaust,” a campaign launched by ISWAP in 2025 with the aim of targeting military formations and personnel across northeastern Nigeria. According to a report by Good Governance Africa, about 16 military bases were attacked during the campaign last year. The Institute for Security Studies estimates that roughly 500 people were killed in more than 200 attacks carried out under the campaign.
The insurgent offensive has also grown more sophisticated, with militants increasingly deploying advanced weapons including armed drones. During recent attacks on Mainok, Jakana, Marte and Konduga, the military said the terrorists used weaponised drones to support their assaults.
As of the time of reporting, the Nigerian military had not officially confirmed the recapture of Ngoshe. Meanwhile, dozens of residents abducted during the earlier attack remain in captivity. Militants recently released a video showing some of the captives, including children dressed in military uniforms.
