Renewed attacks by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria are raising fresh concerns over the fragile security situation in Borno State, with Governor Babagana Zulum warning that insurgents are regaining lost ground.
Speaking in Maiduguri on Tuesday during a strategic meeting with military officials, Zulum said recent developments indicate a troubling shift. Communities in several districts have come under frequent attack, with Boko Haram fighters reportedly dislodging military formations and killing both civilians and soldiers.
The Islamist group, along with the splinter faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has long plagued the region with deadly violence. Although years of military operations and internal rivalries had weakened their influence, the governor revealed that the group has intensified its operations, launching daily assaults and abductions without facing much resistance.
“This is a serious setback for Borno and the wider Northeast,” Zulum told security commanders. “The lack of confrontation in the face of these constant attacks suggests we are losing control in several areas.”
Boko Haram, which has its roots in Borno, is reportedly evolving its battlefield strategy, using drones for surveillance and strikes, according to Nigerian military sources. However, the Defence Headquarters has yet to issue an official response to the governor’s remarks.
The situation is further complicated by the recent withdrawal of Niger Republic from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional military coalition involving Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, set up to counter insurgency threats around the Lake Chad Basin.
Governor Zulum urged federal authorities to invest in modern warfare technology to halt what he described as a worrying surge in extremist violence across Sahelian Borno.
Meanwhile, the military continues to face mounting pressure across multiple fronts—from banditry and mass abductions in the northwest to violent clashes between herders and farmers in the country’s central regions—leaving security forces thinly stretched.
