By Deborah Nnamdi
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday launched coordinated attacks on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Damasak and the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters in Borno State, killing five security personnel and destroying property.
The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incidents in a statement, disclosing that one local hunter was killed in the Damasak attack, while four police officers lost their lives during the assault on the Nganzai police facility.
According to the statement, the attackers, suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP, stormed the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters in the early hours of April 4, 2026, in an attempt to overrun the town. Security operatives, including the Divisional Police Officer, Police Mobile Force personnel, and members of the Crack Squad, engaged the assailants in a fierce gun battle.
Daso said the insurgents deployed Rocket-Propelled Grenades and other sophisticated weapons, causing damage to parts of the station and partially burning an unserviceable Armoured Personnel Carrier. He added that four police personnel were killed in the line of duty during the exchange.
In a related attack around 2:40 a.m., the terrorists targeted the Mallam Fatori IDP camp in Damasak, focusing on a Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and hunters’ duty post at the camp’s entrance. The attack resulted in the death of a 40-year-old hunter identified as Atom Abua and the destruction of about 20 thatched houses and other property.
The police spokesperson noted that joint security teams comprising the police, military, CJTF, and local hunters responded promptly to both incidents, successfully repelling the attackers and preventing further damage.
He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Naziru Abdulmajid, has deployed additional personnel and operational assets to the affected areas to reinforce security and forestall further attacks.
Daso also commended the bravery of officers and local security volunteers who confronted the attackers and prevented them from taking control of the affected communities.
