5,000 Nigerians, Including Soldiers, Flee to Cameroon After Twin ISWAP Att∆cks in Borno

5,000 Nigerians, Including Soldiers, Flee to Cameroon After Twin ISWAP Attacks in Borno

About 5,000 Nigerians — both civilians and soldiers — have reportedly fled across the border into Cameroon after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched coordinated attacks on military bases in Banki and Kumshe, Borno State.

The twin assaults, which occurred within 24 hours, forced civilians to abandon their homes and soldiers to retreat across the frontier, according to situation reports shared by security analysts on Friday.

Lake Chad Basin researcher Taiwo Adebayo of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that ISWAP fighters overran Banki town and seized a military barracks overnight, triggering the mass exodus into Cameroonian border towns Amchide and Limani.

Conflict researcher Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa (GGA) added that the Banki attack lasted nearly three hours, led by ISWAP commander Abu Muhammad, the group’s Fiya in charge of Gargash (Banki-Kumshe axis).

According to his account, the insurgents split into three strike groups before invading the base around midnight. Civilians reported that ISWAP fighters assured them they were only targeting military personnel, not residents, but panic ensued, leaving 4 civilians dead and 5 injured by stray bullets.

Witnesses said the fighters spent nearly two hours looting the barracks before withdrawing around 5 a.m. Soldiers and residents cautiously returned hours later.

The Nigerian military has yet to release an official statement regarding the attacks.

ISWAP, which splintered from Boko Haram in 2016, is notorious for its strategic assaults on security forces while avoiding large-scale civilian killings — a doctrinal difference from its parent group.