By Sabiu Abdullahi
A suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP attack on Wumbi community in Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State has left a vigilante commander and four civilians dead.
The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
Daso said a vigilante leader and four other people were killed during the attack, adding that further details would be made available when they become known.
Sources said the incident occurred on Monday, September 21, but news of the attack was delayed because telecommunications services were unavailable in the area.
According to one of the sources, the terrorists arrived in large numbers and were armed with rifles, improvised explosive devices and other weapons.
The attack reportedly forced several farmers to flee the community.
The vigilante commander, according to the source, remained behind but was eventually surrounded and killed by the attackers. The terrorists were also said to have placed an explosive device on his remains before leaving the area.
Members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), other vigilantes and civilians later mobilised to evacuate the remains. However, the explosive device reportedly detonated, killing four more people and injuring several others.
Wumbi is an agrarian community close to the Cameroon border. The community has largely been deserted due to insecurity, while some residents have reportedly moved across the border and return to the area to farm under the protection of CJTF members and vigilantes.
The circumstances of the attack could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Mustapha Babani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge Federal Constituency in the 2027 elections, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and residents of Wumbi.
