Boko Haram Resurgence Raises Fears in Northeast Nigeria \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Boko Haram attacks have intensified in northeastern Nigeria, with militants overrunning outposts and targeting civilians. Two splinter factions—ISWAP and JAS—have launched coordinated assaults across Borno state. Despite government claims of progress, residents and analysts fear a return to past levels of violence.
Quick Looks
- Region Affected: Borno State, northeast Nigeria
- Recent Attacks: Militia killed in Gajibo, ambushes in multiple towns
- Factions: ISWAP (IS-backed), JAS (Boko Haram original)
- Tactics: Night raids, roadside bombs, drone-deployed explosives
- Military Base Failures: Over 15 outposts overrun in 2025
- Expert Insight: ISWAP’s decentralized structure enables simultaneous attacks
- Weapons Seized: Extremists looting weapons from abandoned bases
- Civilian Toll: Over 35,000 killed since 2009, 2 million displaced
- Gov. Response: Promises of reinforcements after latest border attacks
- Public Sentiment: Fear of returning to 2013-2014 Boko Haram peak
Deep Look
A new wave of Boko Haram violence is gripping northeastern Nigeria, raising alarms about a possible return to the brutal insurgency that once controlled territory the size of Belgium and shocked the world with mass kidnappings and brutal civilian massacres. Despite official claims of progress, experts, aid workers, and residents on the ground say militant attacks are increasing in both frequency and sophistication, placing intense pressure on Nigeria’s military forces.
Since the start of 2025, Islamic extremists have launched repeated assaults on army outposts, mined roads, and attacked villages across Borno state, the long-standing epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency. Last week, militants stormed the village of Gajibo, killing nine members of a local civilian militia that supports the Nigerian military. According to witnesses and aid workers, soldiers had already fled the outpost before the attack, a pattern that has become distressingly familiar.
Boko Haram, which began its campaign in 2009 to oppose Western education and impose strict Islamic law, has splintered into two key factions:
- Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) – backed by ISIS and focused on strategic military targets
- Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) – the original faction, increasingly reliant on attacks against civilians and kidnappings for ransom
ISWAP, by far the more organized and lethal group, has carried out at least 15 successful attacks on military positions this year, including in Marte, Izge, Buni Gari, Rann, Monguno, Wajiroko, and other key locations. The group’s emphasis on nighttime raids, drone use, and swift mobile strikes has outpaced the Nigerian military’s ability to respond.
Security analyst Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa attributes ISWAP’s resurgence to its decentralized structure, enabling coordinated operations across wide regions. “The unpredictability of attacks under this framework illustrates ISWAP’s growing strategic sophistication,” Samuel said. He added that support from ISIS affiliates in Iraq and Syria has further strengthened the group’s arsenal and operational knowledge.
The Nigerian army is struggling to keep pace. Military bases in remote locations are chronically understaffed, with many soldiers overwhelmed by the militants’ superior firepower and tactical surprise. “When these gunmen come, they just overpower the soldiers,” said Ali Abani, a humanitarian worker in Dikwa familiar with local military operations.
The issue is not just manpower, but speed of reinforcement. Delays in deploying air support or backup troops mean extremists have time to loot weapons and supplies before vanishing back into the bush. In one recent incident on May 12, a base was overrun without any meaningful resistance. Soldiers reportedly fled, allowing attackers to seize a cache of military equipment.
Compounding the crisis are reports that some so-called “repentant militants” continue to work as informants or logistical support for terrorist cells, undermining trust in deradicalization programs and fueling civilian suspicion.
The violence has created a ripple effect on everyday life in Borno. For locals like Nyelni Kwari, a graduate student in Maiduguri, the capital, returning to ancestral villages remains out of the question. “The situation hasn’t improved for me to feel secure,” she said.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has publicly expressed concern, stating that military positions are being dislodged “almost on a daily basis without confrontation.” His warning follows months of steady erosion in government-held territory, despite high-profile operations and federal reassurances.
In a symbolic show of presence, Nigerian military commanders recently visited Gamboru, a border town near Cameroon, to announce the deployment of more troops. However, critics argue these gestures fall short of addressing the structural and strategic failures enabling Boko Haram’s resurgence.
At its peak in 2013-2014, Boko Haram gained international infamy by abducting 276 Chibok schoolgirls and controlling swaths of land in northeastern Nigeria. Though military campaigns have since reclaimed most of that territory, the latest surge in attacks has sparked fears that the group is regaining strength.
As the climate crisis, poverty, and poor governance continue to erode stability in Nigeria’s north, analysts warn that insurgency groups like ISWAP and JAS could become even more entrenched, especially with their growing external support and evolving tactics.
The Nigerian military did not respond to media requests for comment, leaving observers and citizens alike wondering whether enough is being done to reverse the tide of violence—or whether a return to peak Boko Haram-era insecurity is already underway.
Boko Haram Resurgence
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