10 Killed in Suspected Boko Haram Attacks in Borno

At least 10 people have been killed in a series of suspected Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria, security volunteers and police confirmed on Friday.

The casualties include nine members of the state-backed Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and a farmer who was reportedly murdered outside Warabe village in Gwoza Local Government Area, near the Cameroon border.

According to a senior CJTF commander, the vigilantes were ambushed on Thursday while responding to the farmer’s killing.
“I personally counted seven CJTF members and one farmer,” he said. “This morning, during a search of the bush, we found two more bodies.”

A police officer in Gwoza also confirmed the incident, placing the death toll at 10.

The ambush occurred just a week after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters killed a brigadier general in the region, the highest-ranking military officer lost in the conflict since 2021.

Another CJTF member, Musa Iliya, said Boko Haram militants were responsible for the attack, adding that “eight others are missing.”

Warabe, located near the Mandara Mountains, sits in an area long known as a stronghold for Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters who operate along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in Washington on Thursday. Hegseth urged Nigeria to take “urgent and enduring action” to curb violence against Christians, the Pentagon said.

The meeting followed comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed Christianity faces “an existential threat” in Nigeria and warned that the U.S. could take swift action if the violence persists.

Nigeria, with a population of over 230 million, remains deeply divided between its largely Christian south and Muslim-majority north. The country continues to grapple with multiple conflicts, including jihadist insurgencies and deadly clashes between herders and farmers, often fueled by land pressure, population growth and climate change.