On the night of Friday, September 5, 2025, the village of Darul Jamal in Nigeria’s Borno State became the scene of yet another devastating attack by Boko Haram militants, underscoring the ongoing insecurity plaguing the country’s northeast. Residents, many of whom had only recently returned after years of displacement, found themselves fleeing once again as armed fighters stormed their community, leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak in their wake.
According to multiple sources, including Reuters and BBC, the assault began around 8:30 p.m. when militants arrived on motorbikes, shooting indiscriminately and setting homes ablaze. The attackers, believed to be led by a notorious Boko Haram commander named Ali Ngulde, overwhelmed the small military contingent stationed in the village. As Babagana Mala, a resident who escaped with soldiers to the town of Bama, recounted to Reuters, “We had been warning the military for three days about Boko Haram gathering near our town, but no action was taken. They overwhelmed the soldiers, who fled with us to Bama.”
The scale of the tragedy became apparent by Saturday morning. The traditional head of Darul Jamal told Reuters through tears, “They went house to house, killing men and leaving women behind. Almost every household is affected.” The death toll varied across reports, but most sources, including Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, confirmed that at least 63 people were killed, among them five to seven soldiers and dozens of civilians. Some accounts reported that as many as 70 bodies had been recovered, with more residents still missing in the surrounding bush. Many victims were families who had recently been relocated from the Government Secondary School displacement camp in Bama, which authorities had closed earlier this year.
The destruction extended beyond loss of life. More than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed, and at least 13 drivers and laborers working on reconstruction efforts in the town were among the dead, according to BBC and Reuters. The attack was not limited to Darul Jamal; militants also struck nearby Banki town, killing residents and travelers, further deepening the sense of insecurity in the region.
Governor Zulum visited Darul Jamal on Saturday, September 6, 2025, to assess the damage and console survivors. Addressing the community, he said, “We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that claimed many lives. This community was resettled a few months ago, but unfortunately, they experienced a Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to console them and build their resilience.” He acknowledged the limitations of the current security forces, stating, “The numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere. Two sets of Forest Guards have been trained. One of the solutions we need to implement immediately is to deploy them to locations that are vulnerable, to protect forests and communities.”
The Nigerian military responded to the attack with a series of air strikes. Nigerian Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame told BBC that “in a series of three precise and successive strikes, the fleeing terrorists were decisively engaged, resulting in the neutralisation of over 30 insurgents.” Ground reinforcements later secured the town and stabilized the situation. Despite this swift military response, the attack has exposed the persistent vulnerability of resettled communities in Borno State.
Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, representing Borno Central, condemned the attack as “a crime against humanity.” Zainab Gimba, the local member of the House of Representatives, echoed these sentiments, calling on the federal government to improve security in the area. “The latest attack has been described as recording the highest fatalities in the Bama Local Government Area since the insurgents took over its headquarters more than 10 years ago,” she told local journalists.
Borno State has been at the epicenter of Boko Haram’s 15-year insurgency. Since 2009, the group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have killed more than 40,000 people and forced over two million to flee their homes. The region has experienced a resurgence in violence in 2025, with Good Governance Africa reporting about 300 attacks—mainly by ISWAP—in the first half of the year, resulting in roughly 500 civilian deaths. The withdrawal of neighboring Niger’s troops from a regional force set up to tackle Boko Haram has further complicated the fight against insurgency, making the job of Nigerian security forces even tougher.
The government’s policy of closing camps for internally displaced persons and encouraging returns to ancestral communities has come under renewed scrutiny. Many of the victims in Darul Jamal had only recently resettled, believing the area to be safe. Hajja Fati, a mother of five who lost her brother in the attack, told Al Jazeera, “The government told us we would be safe here. Now we are burying our people again.”
Despite intensified military operations in Borno State, attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP continue unabated. The Nigerian Army has reported several operations resulting in the killing of insurgents, but these successes have not translated into sustained security for vulnerable communities. The Forest Guards, a newly established force, are set to bolster the overstretched military, but their effectiveness remains to be seen.
The trauma of the attack lingers. Survivors are left to grapple with the loss of loved ones and the destruction of their homes. The traditional head of Darul Jamal, who requested anonymity, described the devastation: “More than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed. Among the dead were seven drivers and six labourers from Bama and Maiduguri, who had been working on reconstruction efforts in the town.”
The attack on Darul Jamal is a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria. It raises pressing questions about the government’s strategy for resettling displaced persons and the adequacy of security measures in areas vulnerable to insurgent attacks. As the region mourns its dead and rebuilds yet again, the need for a comprehensive and effective response to the insurgency has never been more urgent.
For the residents of Darul Jamal and countless other communities in Borno State, the hope for lasting peace remains elusive. Their resilience in the face of repeated tragedy stands as a testament to their courage—and a challenge to authorities to do more to ensure their safety.