Speaking from exile in Cameroon, Abdulrahman Abubakar, district head of Kirawa town in Gwoza Local Government Area, has opened up about the harrowing Boko Haram invasion that forced his flight across the border, underscoring the insurgents’ brutal resurgence in Nigeria’s volatile northeast.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Abubakar detailed the terror that unfolded earlier this week, leaving two residents dead and his palace in ashes. “I was left with no option but to flee to Cameroon,” he said, his words a stark testament to the desperation gripping border communities long scarred by insurgency. Describing the pandemonium, he added: “Residents boarded trucks to seek refuge across the border, while others ran to Maiduguri,” painting a vivid picture of families torn from their homes in a frantic bid for survival.
The assault, which Abubakar likened to a calculated strike against hard-won stability, saw Boko Haram fighters raze infrastructure painstakingly rebuilt over years. The group claimed responsibility in a propaganda video showing militants torching a local barracks, a move analysts say aims to demoralise returnees and assert control over strategic border zones.
The human toll has been immense, with Reuters estimating over 5,000 Kirawa residents now sheltering in Cameroonian camps—a grim echo of displacements from the group’s 2014 rampage. Abubakar’s account highlights the fragility of these resettlements, where communities like Kirawa teeter on the edge of oblivion without robust protection.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has since mobilised hunters and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members to secure the ravaged area, vowing not to let insurgents reclaim the ground. During a Friday assessment tour, Zulum reflected on past collaborations that enabled Kirawa’s return seven years ago, crediting Cameroonian troops for their pivotal role. “We resettled this town… with the support of Cameroonian soldiers,” he said. “Unfortunately, they were displaced again. Yes, Cameroonian troops have withdrawn, but that doesn’t mean the Nigerian Army should leave the area vacant.”
Zulum’s voice grew urgent as he recounted ignored pleas for reinforcements, framing Kirawa’s plight within a broader crisis afflicting border outposts like Wilgo, Baga, Damasak, and Malamfatori. “I duly notified the Nigerian military of the dangers of leaving this town without security,” he revealed. “This is a border community that has to be protected because of its strategic importance.
Unfortunately, my request did not receive the deserved attention, and the insurgents came on Wednesday and vandalised everything we worked so hard to rebuild. Two lives were lost, but 50 houses and our heavy-duty equipment, and eight vehicles were burnt down. We thanked God the casualties were not much.” As Abubakar urges swift federal action from afar, his words serve as a clarion call for renewed commitment to these forsaken frontiers.