By Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh James
(Abuja, BREAKING) – Boko Haram terrorists have overrun a military base and sacked the town of Kirawa, in Gozah County (Local Government Area), Wednesday morning (March 11, 2026), TruthNigeria exclusively reports. Thousands of locals have fled to nearby Cameroon,
The attacks appear to be horrific and destructive according to initial reports from eyewitnesses.
Displaced Twice After Returning Home
“They (terrorists) came from three directions this morning around 3 am,” said Monica Daniel, 32 a native of Agapalawa, Gozah LGA, of Borno State, who had earlier fled to Cameroon in 2014 after her town was overrun by Boko Haram.
“There was shooting and fire everywhere, and people were screaming and running blindly to different directions,” said Daniel, who was convinced to return to Nigeria in December 2025 with the assurance that security had improved.
“I heard that even the army in the town were also running. The gunning was too much,” she told TruthNigeria from a small community in Cameroon.
Daniel, who had resettled in Ngoshe in December, escaped a midnight attack on Ngoshe and took refuge in Kirawa, about 7 miles west of the Cameroonian border on March 6, 2026.
Soldiers and Civilians Flee Terror
“As I am talking to you, I cannot move again,” said Jatau Haruna who escaped from Kirawa to Cameroon Wednesday.
“We walked, carrying children through rugged terrain that had no roads and in the dark,” he said.
“My feet are swollen, and we are in primary school now,” he said.
“I don’t even know the name of this village. All I know is that we are in Cameroon, and we are safe,” he said.
“It was not a small attack, because the terrorists even destroyed the army barracks there, and the soldiers were running with us,” he said.
“The town was burning as we were running,” he added.
Asked if he knew if people were killed, he said, “surely people must have been killed, some may have been kidnapped. Many phone numbers of my relatives are not going through. I don’t know their fate,” he said.
Military, Senator Mum
All attempts to seek confirmation from military authority was not possible as Lt. Col Uba Sani, the Media Information Officer of Joint Military Task Force, Northeast did not pick up.
Calls to Senator Ali Ndume, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial zone were not returned, including a message to his Whatsapp app.
Boko Haram had attacked Kirawa, a Christian-majority town in 2014, forcing residents and soldiers to flee toward Cameroon and nearby Pulka, according to a HumAngle report of 2014.
According to Dail Trust, the town has continued to witness periodic insurgent attacks, including incidents in 2025 involving killings and abductions.
Kirawa’s, Strategic importance
“Kirawa is considered strategically sensitive,” said Col. Aliyu Danbaba of SignWell Consult, Abuja to TruthNigeria, Wednesday.
“The town sits on the valley of Mandara mountain, very close to the Cameroon border, enabling cross-border movement. It lies along routes linking the Sambisa axis, Gwoza hills, and border communities, which insurgents have historically used,” he said.
Coordinated, Simultaneous Attacks
The Guardian among several others have reported coordinated attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Nigerian military formations in Borno State between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, targeting bases of Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and Marte. The assaults, carried out with heavy weapons and coordinated raids, resulted in significant casualties among Nigerian troops.
Security sources said about 40 soldiers were killed during the simultaneous raids, although the military later disputed the exact figure without giving an official casualty count, the Guardian said.
According to ujasusi.com, among the officers killed were Lt. Col. S.I. Iliyasu, Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, and Lt. Col. Umar Farouq, a commanding officer later killed during a related attack in Kukawa.
Arise News also reported that the insurgents also attacked civilian settlements, abducting about 300 residents, including women and children, after raiding Ngoshe in Gwoza LGA of Borno State, according to local officials and security reports who informed Arise News.
Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh James report conflict for TruthNigeria.
