KANO: At least 15 people were killed as militants launched attacks on two villages near Chibok in Nigeria’s Borno State on New Year’s Day, according to three residents who spoke with AFP on Wednesday.
Armed militants, riding in trucks fitted with machine guns and on motorcycles, stormed into Gatamarwa and Tsiha villages, engaging in violence that included the killing of residents, burning homes, and looting food supplies, the residents reported.
Manasseh Allen, the head of Chibok Area Development Association (CADA), confirmed the death toll, stating, “The death toll from the attacks on the two villages stands at 15.” The attackers, disguised as soldiers, entered Gatamarwa, opening fire on residents, including a group of mourners returning from a funeral.
The assailants killed 12 people in Gatamarwa and three in Tsiha, according to Allen and other residents. Besides the loss of lives, the militants looted food supplies and set homes ablaze in both villages. A young woman was also reportedly kidnapped during the attack on Tsiha.
Militant Groups in Nigeria
While it remains unclear which militant group was responsible, both Boko Haram and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operate in the region. Chibok, known globally for the 2014 abduction of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, has been a recurring target for such attacks.
Chibok has been under military presence since the mass kidnapping, yet deadly raids continue in the area. ISWAP, having split from Boko Haram in 2016, seized the Sambisa forest from its rivals in 2021 and continues to launch attacks on villages near the forest.
The ongoing violence in Nigeria has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people in the past 14 years, spilling across borders into Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. In response, a regional military coalition has been engaged in combating militant groups in the region.
