Malam-Fatori, Borno State – January 25, 2025
A Boko Haram attack on the 149 Battalion military base in Malam-Fatori, the headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area in Borno State, has left over 20 Nigerian soldiers dead, with many still missing.
The attack, which occurred on Friday, January 24, 2025, lasted for several hours as insurgents stormed the base with multiple gun trucks, overwhelming the military. Sources confirmed that several buildings and operational vehicles were destroyed during the onslaught, forcing surviving personnel to retreat.
Malam-Fatori, a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic, is home to thousands of displaced persons fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency. The terrorists reportedly targeted the base in their continued campaign of terror, leaving significant devastation in their wake.
Among those killed were the commanding officer of the battalion, two senior officers, and the base medical director. A source revealed that several soldiers were critically injured, while a yet-to-be-determined number remained unaccounted for as of Saturday.
The attack in Malam-Fatori comes on the heels of another assault by the terror group on a military Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State. That incident, which occurred over the weekend, left an unconfirmed number of soldiers dead and others missing.
A source who spoke about the Damboa attack stated, “25 Taskforce Brigade was attacked with so many casualties. So far, we have recovered over seven bodies.”
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has grown in strength since the death of Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a statement, ISWAP shared images of its members attacking the military base, further underlining its increasing influence in the Lake Chad region.
The insurgency, which has plagued Nigeria for over a decade, has caused more than 100,000 deaths and displaced millions, particularly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states. Despite repeated claims by the Nigerian Army that the insurgency has been largely defeated, recent events paint a starkly different picture of the ongoing conflict.
The attacks underscore the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s military in its fight against insurgency and the need for sustained and enhanced efforts to secure the region.