20 000 Flee Nigerian Town as Militants Intensify A...

20 000 Flee Nigerian Town as Militants Intensify Attacks in Borno State

Zim Now Writer

At least 20 000 people have fled the northeastern Nigerian town of Marte following renewed attacks by Islamist militants, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum confirmed on Sunday. The town, located near the border with Cameroon, had only been resettled four years ago after previously falling under insurgent control.

Borno has seen a sharp rise in violence this year, with attacks attributed to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. The escalating insecurity has raised fears that the militant groups are regaining strength despite years of military offensives intended to weaken them.

Governor Zulum visited Marte to assess the damage and consult with military officials, following a militant raid on the town’s army base last week. The attackers briefly overran the base, killing at least five soldiers and leaving others unaccounted for.

“Marte was resettled about four years ago, but unfortunately, over the last three days, it was ransacked and displaced again,” Zulum told reporters. “About 20,000 people left Marte for Dikwa.”

The governor also visited Rann, another town recently targeted in a militant attack on a military base. He plans to travel Monday to Kala-Balge district, where 23 farmers were killed last week in an assault blamed on insurgents.

According to humanitarian organizations, the 16-year-long insurgency in Nigeria has displaced over 2 million people and killed thousands. Marte had been part of a government-led resettlement program aimed at closing camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, the state capital. Officials had promoted Marte’s revival as a model for similar post-insurgency recovery elsewhere in the region.

However, with the resurgence of attacks, many residents fear they may once again lose their homes and livelihoods. Analysts and military sources say Boko Haram and ISWAP have been adapting their tactics, including the use of drones for surveillance, making the groups harder to combat.

Governor Zulum warned that keeping displaced persons in camps, such as the one in Dikwa, poses risks. “Leaving young people in IDP camps makes them vulnerable to recruitment by insurgents,” he said.