Fresh waves of terror unleashed by Boko Haram insurgents have forced thousands of farming residents in Adamawa State to flee their ancestral homes, triggering panic and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region. The renewed onslaught comes despite government assurances of heightened security efforts.
Multiple communities situated near the volatile Sambisa Forest — the notorious stronghold of Boko Haram — have come under intense threat in recent days, resulting in a mass exodus of residents.
Villages affected include Dabna, Kwapre, Kinging, Za’a, Yau, Garaga Lar, and Garaga Migili, all within the troubled Hong Local Government Area of the state. Fearing for their lives amid reports of deadly attacks and the destruction of properties, many villagers have sought refuge in the safer urban centre of Hong, the LGA headquarters.
“I escaped with nothing but the clothes on my back,” said a distraught resident who fled from Kwapre. “They came in the dead of night. We heard gunfire, and by morning, our homes were in ashes.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. As the rainy season intensifies, many farmers have abandoned their fields and crops, casting a shadow over the year’s harvest and raising alarms over looming food insecurity in the region.
On Wednesday, the King of Huba, His Royal Majesty Alheri Bulus Nyako, decried the growing crisis during a visit by Delu Bulus Yakubu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
“We are indeed in a trying moment,” the monarch lamented. “My people have been displaced and are seeking refuge here in Hong due to fear of further attacks. We plead for urgent and lasting intervention.”
In response, Yakubu conveyed the federal government’s sympathy and delivered relief materials to the displaced. She emphasized that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is actively addressing the crisis through coordinated security and humanitarian responses.
“I want to assure you that Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda is already taking root,” Yakubu said. “The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a proud son of Adamawa, is working round the clock with the armed forces and relevant agencies to ensure the protection of vulnerable communities.”
She further stated that concrete security measures have been activated to enable the safe return of farmers and to guarantee a peaceful farming season. Relief supplies, including food items, mattresses, and other essentials, were handed over to affected families as part of the government’s emergency response package.
While the federal intervention has brought a glimmer of hope, local leaders and displaced residents insist that only sustained military presence and long-term development plans can guarantee the safety and survival of the region.
As Boko Haram’s shadow continues to loom over Adamawa’s farmlands, the cries of the displaced echo a dire need for urgent action to reclaim and secure the heart of Nigeria’s agrarian communities.
PIONEER NEWS 