Pipo for Northern Nigeria fear di return of deadly attacks of Boko Haram

BBC News

13-05-2025

Last September, afta Boko Haram militants attack Mafa town for Yobe, Northeast Nigeria, e don bring back fears of time wey pipo for di area believe say don go. Di attackers kill ova 100 pipo by di time di attack end.
Boko Haram dey promote di kain Islam wey be say na "haram" or forbidden for Muslims to participate for any political or social activity wey dey linked wit Western society.
Boko Haram see Nigeria as kontri wey dey run by non-believers weda na Muslim be president or not. Dis na according to one old BBC tori.
Even though pipo bin reason say dem don dey weak ova di years bicos of how di Nigerian military and joint operations wit neighbouring kontris dey sama dem, Boko Haram attacks for Nigeria don dey more frequent ova di last three years.
Attacks wey dey linked to di group don gradually increase for di last three years, from 105 attacks for 2022, to 147 for 2023 and 191 for 2024, according to BBC analysis for data from SBM intelligence wey be African focused security intel gathering firm.
For 2025, di first recorded attack happun for 4 January, wen di group block Nigerian sojas for Sabon Gari village, and kill six pipo. Just nine days afta, for January 13, Boko Haram attack Dumba village near Baga and kill 40 farmers and fishermen.
Oda attacks don dey happun evri month dis year, wit increasing frequency and dey mark trend wey dey cause fear, di trend say kasala don start again and so far don dey burst for rural communities and just outside urban centres.
Signs say palava don start again?
On 8 April, 2025, Govnor of Borno state, Babagana Umara Zulum raise alarm on top new Boko Haram attacks and di increase in kidnappings. E say di group dey come back again by targeting military bases and killing civilians.
E tok say, "dis killing of innocent pipo and security personnel dey alarming and e mark serious setback both for Borno State and di wider northeastern region".
Tori of increase in kasala for Borno and Yobe states suggest say di group fit neva dey defeated as dem bin dey tink.
Aliyu Harande wey come from Mafa tell BBC afta last year attack say, "wetin we take our eyes see no be just small act of violence. Na sign say we don dey loose hope and courage. Evribodi dey fear and pipo dey struggle make dem no run mad.
"For us wey bin tink say dia activities don come down, dis event make us know say dem dey regroup."
Zanna Umara, na official of Tarmuwa local goment council and e tell BBC say, "we no dey pray make dem come back, but di level of di attack for Mafa, e be like say dem dey arrange dia comeback".
Dr Kabir Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited reveal say di recent rise in attacks fit dey linked to some factors.
E say di first na di Islamic State release of "global order wey ginger dia colleagues to increase attacks, and we don see many groups wey don dey ansa di call".
Di second factor wey Dr Adama point to na seasonal patterns. E say, "just bifor di rainy season, dis groups dey normally increase dia work bicos dem know say military operations dey normally slow down dat time bicos of say di road dey hard to move and limited visibility".
E also say di main reason na regional instability. E say, "kasala for di Sahel, especially for kontris like Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso wey don weak border security wey dey make dis groups to move, recruit and receive support freely".
E also tok say di internal changes for di structure of Nigeria military don play role. Dis na especially bicos of how dem don move equipment and personnel from di northeast go di northwest.
But di Nigeria goment say di increase in Boko Haram attacks na bicos of how dem dey grow for neighbouring kontris.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, wey be Nigeria defence minister tell BBC say, "no look di rise in attacks alone o! Wetin dey happun for our neighbouring kontris dey important. Insurgents don increase dia activities all ova di region and dat don enta wetin we dey face for Nigeria."
According to di United Nations Development Program (UNDP), ova 35,000 na im dey estimated say Boko Haram attacks don kill from 2009 to 2024. Dis include seven attacks for just 2024 wey don cause ova 200 deaths and ova 300 injuries wey be hike compared to former years.
UNDP say di attacks dey happun mostly for north-eastern Nigeria, especially dat Borno State wia Boko Haram and dia pikin ISWAP dey continue to target civilians and military personnel.
As Nigerians dey face di double wahala of increased living costs and increased insurgent kasala, e dey test di strength of pipo wey dey directly affected well-well.
Harande say, "wetin we go face first, na di cost of living wahala abi di insecurity and fear for our lives?"
As village pipo - di most common civilian victims of insurgent attacks – dey mourn dia losses and rebuild dia lives, dem dey do am wit fear and panic sake of say dem no know wen di next attack go come.
Hajara Idris (no be her real name) tell BBC afta di attack for Mafa say, "my pikin dem dey fear, we no even know weda e dey safe to go back. Di army dey here but I no feel safe again".
No be only her dey feel like dat. Fatima Bakar (no be her real name) also get dis fears.
She say, "Di attack don traumatize us. We don see tins wey we neva imagine and e be like say place no dey wey go dey safe for is. Even wit di army, I dey fear evri night say Boko Haram go come back".