Islamist terrorists have kidnapped more than 100 women and children after attacking a military base and displacement camp in north east Nigeria.
Fighters from Boko Haram overran a base belonging to the Nigerian Army 82nd Division in Ngoshe, a town in the Gwoza region of Borno State.
Militants are said to have ransacked the surrounding community after overpowering troops, chasing civilians who attempted to flee.
A security source told the Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust that the exact number of casualties remains unclear but the remains of nine soldiers had been recovered.
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Local sources also told the outlet that the town’s chief imam had been killed and more than 100 women and children abducted during the raid.
The district secretary of Ngoshe, Shuaibu Dabawa, said as many as 300 residents could have been taken.
“When they attacked, we heard sporadic gunshots and immediately fled into the bush for safety, where we spent the entire night,” he said.
Thousands of survivors have since fled to the nearby town of Pulka, where many are sleeping on roads or in school buildings for fear of further attacks.
PICTURED: Nigerian forces hold up captured Boko Haram flag after 2020 operation
|REUTERS
Witnesses told the Nigerian newspaper Punch that the assault began around 1am on Wednesday and lasted several hours before military air support forced the attackers to retreat into nearby forests.
A police spokesman, Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack and said many residents remain unaccounted for.
Ali Ndume said more than 100 residents were still missing but added that many militants were killed by air strikes carried out by the Operation Hadin Kai.
Survivors have described dire conditions in Pulka.
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Nigerian soldiers from the Multinational Joint Task Force training in Borno in 2025
|GETTY
One displaced resident, Amina Halid, said many people were sheltering inside a primary school without basic supplies.
“Many people are now camped at Central Primary School in Pulka.
"There is no water, no food and no proper shelter. Most of the displaced persons are women and children.
"We are appealing for urgent government intervention,” she said.
PICTURED: Nigerian soldiers patrol Borno in 2025
|GETTY
Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, told the outlet that survivors were being given support.
He said: "In the case of Ngoshe, the people were assembled at Pulka, a nearby town to the area, and immediate support came from the local government."
He added that the state government has dispatched care packages of rice, sugar, millet. a gluten-free ancient grain, and blankets.
Nigerian Army Chief of Staff, Waidi Shaibu is expected to visit Ngoshe on Friday.
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