Borno Attack: 20 Soldiers, CJTF Members Reportedly Killed as Insurgents Overrun Mairari Base

Suspected insurgents have reportedly killed 15 Nigerian soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) during an attack on a military base in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The attack occurred on Tuesday night, October 13, according to reports published on Thursday by Premium Times and AFP, which cited military and local sources.

The attackers were identified by the sources as suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an armed group operating in Nigeria’s North-East.

According to AFP, the insurgents overran the military position, looted weapons and set fire to the facility before troops withdrew towards Monguno, a nearby garrison town.

A Nigerian military officer, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said 15 soldiers and five members of the CJTF were killed during the assault.

The officer also said several soldiers were missing, raising concerns among their colleagues that some might have been captured by the attackers. The report did not establish the number of missing personnel or confirm whether any had been taken captive.

Premium Times separately reported the same casualty figures, citing security sources who identified the attackers as suspected members of either Boko Haram or ISWAP.

The newspaper said the Nigerian military had not issued an official statement confirming the casualties as of the time of its report. Its account also noted that the spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, had not responded to an enquiry about the incident.

However, other reports presented a different picture of the casualties.

Vanguard reported that more than 10 soldiers and four civilians were killed, citing a security source. The newspaper also quoted a resident who said more than 11 people had died and that military and CJTF vehicles were destroyed during the attack.

The chairman of Guzamala Local Government Area, Lawan Sheriff, confirmed the attack to Vanguard but said he could not establish the casualty figures.

The Punch and The Guardian Nigeria also reported the attack, citing local sources and the council chairman, Umar Sheriff.

The Guardian quoted the chairman as saying the attackers specifically targeted the military position and that no civilian had been killed. He added that the military had repelled the attack and that the situation was calm at the time of his account.

However, local sources cited by the newspaper said casualties had occurred on both sides, although they could not independently verify the reported death toll.

The conflicting accounts leave the precise number of people killed and the circumstances surrounding the attack unresolved.

The incident occurred amid renewed insurgent activity in Borno State, a major theatre of Nigeria’s long-running conflict with Boko Haram and ISWAP.

AFP also reported that insurgents had seized more than 40 fishing boats in the nearby lakeside community of Tumbun Barebari before the assault on the military base.

A fisherman, Jibrin Hassan, told Reuters that he lost his boat during the raid. Another fisherman, Babagana Muhammad, described the incidents as simultaneous attacks but said the fishermen were not harmed.

Mairari is located in Guzamala Local Government Area, in the Lake Chad region of north-eastern Borno. The area has experienced repeated attacks by insurgents seeking to weaken military positions and disrupt security operations.

The military’s official account of the latest incident, including the confirmed casualty figures, the status of missing personnel and the extent of the damage to the base, remained unavailable in the reports reviewed for this story.