Hundreds of residents from Kirawa community in Borno State have fled to villages in Cameroon after a deadly Boko Haram attack that led to the withdrawal of Nigerian troops from their town. The displaced villagers now live in dire conditions, spending days in Nigeria and nights sleeping in mosques, classrooms, and on streets in Cameroon to avoid insurgent assaults.
AD - Carry.ng is Nigeria’s growing delivery marketplace
The District Head of Kirawa, Abdulrahman Abubakar, confirmed the displacement and urgently called for government intervention to resettle the community and restore peace. “We can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed as our people now juggle between two countries, sleeping in Cameroon at night and returning to spend the day in Nigeria,” he said.
A resident, Buba Aji, described the Cameroonian shelters as inhumane, noting many slept under rain with no adequate accommodation. He appealed for troops to be redeployed to the area. “No Nigerian soldier is currently in our community,” Aji said. “The Joint Task Force protecting us are Cameroonian soldiers who don’t even speak English, and they have returned to Cameroon.”
Another resident, Atahiru Lawan, estimated that 80 to 90 percent of Kirawa’s population, including children, had fled to Cameroon, where they face lack of aid and shelter.
The Special Adviser to Borno Governor Babagana Zulum on Security Matters, Gen. Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.), confirmed awareness of the situation and assured the governor is actively working on it.
The attack occurred on Saturday, killing several soldiers and resulting in the abduction of a schoolgirl, Aisha Muhammad Aja. Nigerian military officials disputed reports that Nigerian troops were attacked, claiming only the Cameroonian base was hit. However, locals insist no Nigerian troops were present, relying entirely on foreign forces for security.
📰 Latest News Today
Residents criticized the military’s stance, pointing out communication barriers and inadequate protection by foreign troops, which left them vulnerable to insurgents. One witness described how insurgents burned homes, shot indiscriminately from 9 p.m. to midnight, and abducted the schoolgirl, who remains missing.
Residents are pleading for urgent government action to deploy troops and provide protection before further attacks occur.
#BokoHaram #BornoCrisis #NigeriaSecurity #CameroonRefugees #Insurgency #BornoAttack #NigeriaNews #HumanitarianCrisis