MAIDUGURI — In a brazen show of force that has sent shockwaves through Borno State, the Boko Haram terrorist group has released a video parading approximately 300 villagers snatched during a mid-week raid on the Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area.
The footage, which surfaced online Saturday, shows a grim procession of men, women, and children sitting on the ground as masked gunmen—some clad in stolen military fatigues—patrol the lines with rocket-propelled grenades and black flags. The 30-second clip serves as a haunting confirmation of the mass abduction that occurred when the insurgents overran the border town on Wednesday.
In a longer, more defiant video filmed inside the Ngoshe Central Mosque, a commander identified as Imam Abu Umaima declared the town a “Caliphate,” renaming it Daular Islam. The group claimed they intend to hold the territory and perform their upcoming Eid prayers in the heart of the community.
The fall of Ngoshe followed a brutal midnight assault that left dozens dead and forced thousands of survivors to trek through the night to seek refuge in Pulka. Local sources report that at least 100 people were killed in the initial firefight, including several soldiers and a high-ranking officer who died defending the town’s perimeter.
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the “heartless assault,” directing the military to spare no effort in rescuing the captives. While the air component of Operation Hadin Kai has been scrambled to track the insurgents’ movements, the terrorists appear to have dug in, using the abducted civilians as human shields.
As the 72-hour mark since the abduction passes, the humanitarian situation in neighbouring Pulka has reached a breaking point, with thousands of displaced residents sleeping in the open, awaiting word on their missing loved ones.
