As Nigeria’s insurgency drags into its 16th harrowing year, chilling revelations have emerged from the heart of Borno State, where entire communities remain hostage to Boko Haram and its deadly offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
In the local government areas of Gudumbari, Marte, and Abadam, residents live under a parallel regime imposed by terrorists who have filled the vacuum left by an absent government. Locals recount a grim reality — one in which armed insurgents patrol freely, collect taxes, enforce punishments, and hold complete control, while the Nigerian military remains largely absent.
“We’ve lived under Boko Haram’s rule for six years,” one villager told SaharaReporters, his voice laced with fear and frustration. “They collect taxes after harvests, punish anyone who disobeys, and roam the villages armed. There is no government presence, no protection — only fear.”
The militant occupation began in earnest in 2018, when Boko Haram overran a military base in Gudumbari, allowing them to seize a dozen villages without resistance. Since then, the federal government’s promises of liberation have faded into silence. In many of these areas, Nigerian soldiers are only stationed at local government headquarters, if at all.
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, recently underscored the dire state of rural Borno during a press briefing in Abuja. “These terror groups still control vast parts of the state,” he said, echoing the growing alarm among both citizens and local leaders.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has issued a renewed plea to the federal government to act before the crisis spirals further. “The government must act before this spreads,” Zulum warned. “These communities cannot continue to be abandoned.”
In Abadam, the situation is even more desperate. A local source revealed that the town has been entirely abandoned by civilians — its streets now patrolled only by soldiers. “Most of our people have fled to Niger Republic. The town is empty. What was once a vibrant community is now a ghost town,” the source lamented.
Satellite towns and makeshift settlements in neighboring states such as Yobe and Bauchi have become overcrowded refuges for displaced persons, many of whom fled with only the clothes on their backs.
In Marte LGA, residents have been forced to relocate to Sabon Marte, a makeshift settlement 12 kilometers from the original town. Yet even here, insecurity looms large.
“Boko Haram still attacks. We live in constant fear,” said Babagana Ali, a resident of Sabon Marte. “We can’t even travel to nearby towns like Dikwa for food unless the army provides an escort — and that only happens once a month.”
What these communities endure is a tragic testament to the enduring power of insurgency. Since Boko Haram launched its campaign of terror in 2009, more than 35,000 lives have been lost, over 2.5 million people displaced, and at least 1,200 schools reduced to rubble, according to United Nations reports.
While military offensives have claimed victories in urban centers and symbolic strongholds, rural areas remain exposed — largely ignored by mainstream media and neglected by the state. These pockets of lawlessness continue to fester, giving insurgents the room to regroup and thrive.
Inhabitants of Gudumbari, Marte, and Abadam have one collective demand: rescue us. Their call echoes far beyond the boundaries of Borno.
“We are Nigerians too,” said one elderly man, his eyes weary. “We are not asking for luxuries — only peace, dignity, and the presence of a government that cares.”
Until then, entire swaths of Borno remain trapped in an invisible occupation — held hostage by terror, abandoned by the state, and forced to survive in the shadows.
PIONEER NEWS 