Police Intensify Security Review in Borno Border Communities, Black Spot Areas

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

The Borno State Police Command has launched a comprehensive review of the security situation in border communities and other areas considered vulnerable to criminal activities across the state.

The initiative followed a high-level security meeting convened by the Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, aimed at strengthening operational strategies and improving vigilance in locations identified as security flashpoints.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police Nahum Daso, disclosed that the meeting brought together tactical commanders, area commanders and 27 Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) from across Borno State.

According to him, the one-day strategic session was designed to critically assess the prevailing security environment and reinforce existing operational plans to safeguard communities, particularly those situated along the state’s borders and other high-risk areas.

Daso explained that the review would enable security operatives to collectively refine strategies aimed at preventing criminal threats and maintaining stability in affected communities.

Addressing the officers during the meeting, Commissioner Abdulmajid urged them to sustain a high level of operational alertness and professionalism while discharging their duties.

He emphasised the importance of proactive policing, effective intelligence gathering and improved deployment of personnel to prevent security breaches and ensure the safety of residents.

The police chief also directed commanders to strengthen security formations, especially those located in remote communities and local government areas, by ensuring they receive additional operational support and logistics.

As part of measures to boost public confidence and deter criminal activities, the Command announced plans to collaborate with other security agencies to conduct joint show-of-force patrols across strategic locations in the state.

According to the Command, the exercise aims to enhance visibility policing and reassure residents of the security agencies’ readiness to respond swiftly to threats.

Reaffirming the police commitment to protecting lives and property, Abdulmajid urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding.

He also cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic or tension within the state.

 
Terrorists Kill Resident, Rustle 1,400 Sheep in Borno Community

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Maiduguri, Borno State – Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed a resident and rustled about 1,400 sheep during an attack on a nomadic settlement in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Wuturo community, a settlement near Konduga town along the 75-kilometre Maiduguri–Bama road.

Confirming the attack, the Borno State Police Command said the assailants stormed the settlement on motorcycles, killing one person and carting away livestock belonging to local herders.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nahum Daso, said the command strongly condemned the attack allegedly carried out by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents.

According to him, the incident was reported to the Konduga Police Divisional Headquarters by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on March 10, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m.

Daso explained that the attackers, who arrived on five motorcycles, invaded the settlement and made away with a large number of sheep after opening fire on residents.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that during the attack, a 40-year-old resident, Ahmadu Baida, sustained fatal gunshot wounds, while another victim, Mohammadu Baida, 30, was shot in the left leg,” the statement said.

He added that the gunmen also rustled approximately 1,400 sheep belonging to herders in the community.

Security operatives quickly responded to the distress call, deploying a joint team comprising the Police, the Military, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and local hunters to the affected settlement.

“The victims were evacuated to the hospital, where Ahmadu Baida was confirmed dead on arrival by a medical doctor, while the injured victim is currently receiving treatment and responding positively,” Daso stated.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Naziru Abdulmajid, condemned the killing and expressed condolences to the bereaved family and the affected community.

He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

The police spokesperson said coordinated security operations have been activated to track down the perpetrators, prevent further attacks, and recover the rustled livestock.

“Tactical teams and intelligence assets have been strategically deployed in the affected area and surrounding communities to strengthen security presence and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Daso added.

Terror Alarm in Borno: Insurgents Establish New Fortress Near NNPC Exploration Site

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Fresh security concerns have emerged in Jere Local Government Area following reports that fighters linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have established new hideouts in the Tuba settlement close to facilities of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Local sources, including farmers and community leaders, said the insurgents have constructed what they described as a fortified base around Tuba, located within the outskirts of Jere council area in Maiduguri. According to the sources, about 200 motorcycles belonging to the fighters were sighted around the area, raising fears of renewed attacks in parts of northern Borno.

A resident, Modu Isami, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said the insurgents appear to be monitoring strategic locations around the oil exploration site.

“The terrorists have positioned themselves around communities close to the NNPC exploration site,” he said. “They are watching settlements such as Dusuman, Ngom, Jabarman, Gongulong Lawanti and Koshebe, as well as areas around Muna Garage, which is about 20 kilometres east of Maiduguri.”

Isami added that other locations believed to be under surveillance by the armed groups include Madinatu, the Maiduguri cattle market, and motorists travelling along the Maiduguri–Monguno and Maiduguri–Mafa highways.

According to him, the insurgents often move in small units of about five motorcycles at a time, advancing toward Ngom community along the Maiduguri–Dikwa road before crossing into the Maiduguri–Mafa axis and sometimes heading toward Konduga Local Government Area.

Security observers say such movements could enable the fighters to reach areas bordering the notorious Sambisa Forest, long known as a major hideout for extremist groups operating in the Northeast.

A 65-year-old local hunter, Konto Aliyu, described the development as alarming, warning that the newly established fortress could threaten both nearby communities and oil exploration infrastructure.

“The presence of this fortress in our council area is dangerous,” Aliyu said. “It could endanger residents and the drilling facilities of NNPC, which were inaugurated in 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Aliyu also warned that military installations in Jere, Konduga and Maiduguri could become targets if the insurgents intensify their movements across forest corridors sometimes referred to locally as the “Timbuktu Triangle”.

He further suggested that the insurgents’ frequent movement on motorcycles might be a diversionary tactic aimed at distracting security forces while preparing coordinated attacks on several communities across northern Borno.

Communities that could face potential threats include Gajiganna, Gajiram, Mafa, Dikwa, Konduga and Bama — towns that previously suffered devastating attacks during the peak of the insurgency between 2014 and 2016.

The hunter called on the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to intensify operations around the Tuba axis to dismantle the suspected hideouts.

He also urged security authorities to collaborate with local hunters and vigilante groups to strengthen patrols and establish additional checkpoints along the major highways leading into Maiduguri in order to prevent possible attacks and protect surrounding communities.