Borno State is teetering on the edge of collapse as the Boko Haram insurgency gains alarming momentum, with no fewer than 300 lives lost and three entire local government areas falling under the firm grip of terrorists in just six months. This grim revelation was made by Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South, who painted a harrowing picture of the deteriorating security situation during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday.
Speaking after a high-powered security meeting between Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Nigeria’s top military commanders, Ndume disclosed that the state had suffered 252 brutal attacks between November 2024 and April 2025. The bloodshed claimed the lives of over 200 civilians and more than 100 gallant soldiers, leaving communities shattered and morale among security personnel stretched to its limit.
Even more disturbing, Ndume revealed that the local government areas of Gudumbari, Marte, and Abadam have effectively fallen under full Boko Haram control, with government presence in those zones now nonexistent. “These areas are now in the hands of terrorists. They raise their own flags and dictate life and death for our people,” he lamented.
Despite the daunting odds, Ndume commended the Nigerian military for their resilience, noting that they succeeded in neutralizing over 800 terrorists in the same period. However, he emphasized that the military is overwhelmed and outmatched in both manpower and equipment. “The Army is doing their best, but they can’t perform miracles without trained and adequate troops,” he warned. “They need to be Trained, Equipped, Armed, and Motivated—what I call the TEAM formula.”
Ndume further disclosed that deadly infighting between Boko Haram and rival faction ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) resulted in the deaths of at least 500 terrorists, showcasing the brutality and fragmentation within insurgent ranks.
The senator painted a dire picture of daily life in Borno, saying the state is practically under curfew due to the threat of insurgent ambushes. “From 6pm, movement becomes impossible across much of the state. Even in Southern Borno, seven out of nine local governments are locked down after dark,” he said.
According to Ndume, road travel is now a matter of life and death. “You cannot move from one local government to another after 5pm until 8am—and that’s only after the Nigerian Army has manually scanned the roads,” he stated.
Military formations have also suffered major setbacks, with bases in Wajiruku, Sabongari, Monguno, and Ngala displaced by insurgents. Crucial highways like the Maiduguri–Biu Road have been shut down, and movement to Damboa is restricted to weekly military convoys, a chilling echo of the darkest years of the conflict.
Ndume didn’t mince words about the bigger picture, warning that the total number of military personnel—across the Army, Air Force, and Navy—is under 300,000 in a nation of over 200 million people. “That’s simply unsustainable,” he said. “The soldiers are not the problem—they are heroes. The problem is they are outnumbered, under-equipped, and under-supported.”
He called on the Federal Government and the international community to act swiftly and decisively to prevent the crisis from spiraling beyond control. “If nothing urgent is done, the entire region could be lost to terrorism again,” he cautioned.
Governor Zulum’s visit to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chiefs of Army, Air, and Naval Staff, underscores a renewed cry for help as Borno battles through what may be the most dangerous chapter in its decade-long war against extremism.
Boko Haram, which has waged war against Nigeria for over a decade, was once declared “technically defeated” by federal authorities. But the renewed wave of attacks, territorial seizures, and civilian massacres signal a deadly resurgence that threatens the fragile gains of recent years.
As Borno bleeds, the nation watches with bated breath—will this be the final straw, or the moment Nigeria turns the tide once and for all?
PIONEER NEWS 