- Boko Haram insurgents attacked Kirawa, a border town in northeast Nigeria, forcing over 5,000 residents to flee into Cameroon.
- The palace of the district head, a military barracks, and several homes were set ablaze during the overnight assault.
- District Head Abdulrahman Abubakar confirmed he fled to Cameroon to escape the violence.
- Boko Haram released a video showing fighters burning a barracks and chanting “victory belongs to God.”
- Survivors reported that Kirawa is now largely deserted and under the control of Boko Haram.
Over 5,000 residents of Kirawa, a border town in northeast Nigeria, were forced to flee into neighbouring Cameroon after Boko Haram insurgents launched a late-night assault that left the community devastated.
The attack forced District Head Abdulrahman Abubakar and hundreds of families to abandon their homes after the palace, a military barracks, and several houses were set ablaze.
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Abubakar confirmed that he had no option but to escape across the border, while other residents fled in trucks or on foot to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to Reuters, a video released by Boko Haram showed fighters chanting “victory belongs to God” while setting fire to the military barracks.
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Community members who escaped said Kirawa was now largely deserted. “Boko Haram is in control,” said Dauda Hassan, a survivor who fled to Pulka, a nearby town with heavy troop presence.
This assault comes barely two weeks after Boko Haram fighters attacked Banki, another border town, where they overran a military barracks, seized weapons, and forced soldiers to retreat.
