Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked a Nigerian Army base in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, killing an unspecified number of soldiers.
Local and security sources confirmed the attack, stating that it occurred around 3:00 a.m. on Monday at the Forward Operating Base of the 153 Task Force Battalion.
Daily Trust reports that Marte, situated in northern part of Borno State, has remained a subject of interest to terrorists since the early days of Boko Haram.
In the latest attack, one of the sources, who requested anonymity, said the troops were overpowered, with some soldiers captured during the assault.
“ISWAP took control of Marte. An unknown number of soldiers were killed, some were captured, and many fled. They ran toward Dikwa and are now at the 24 Task Force Brigade in Dikwa.
“The terrorists also burned down armoured tanks and carted away arms and ammunition from the base,” the source said.
Marte is located 38 kilometres from Dikwa, the headquarters of Dikwa Local Government Area in Borno State.
A resident in Dikwa told our correspondent that gunfire was heard, and a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet was seen hovering over the area.
“We heard that reinforcements arrived in Marte, including hunters and members of the civilian Joint Task Force, and the base has now been retaken by the troops.
“However, the arms store was looted and set ablaze and operational vehicles were destroyed,” he added.
Sources also said that hundreds of residents in the town, located on the fringes of Lake Chad, have fled to Dikwa for safety.
“Unfortunately, the terrorists have trapped thousands of residents, mostly women and children, in New Marte.
“It wasn’t long ago that the Malam Fatori military base was attacked, where one of our commanders and 21 soldiers paid the supreme price,” a soldier said.
Since January, several military formations have been attacked by terrorists in the Lake Chad region and the Mandara Hills in the Sambisa Forest areas of Borno and Yobe states.
The relentless war for Marte
Daily Trust recalled that after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in 2013, the Nigerian troops recaptured Krenoa, New Marte, and Hausari from Boko Haram.
Before then, the terrorists had launched countless attacks on the civilian population, military formations and other symbols of authority.
At the height of the emergency rule, the recapture of Marte was the first major success story recorded by the military, and to prove to the world that Nigeria was winning the war, foreign and senior journalists were airlifted from Abuja to Maiduguri at a time when Borno was a ‘no-fly-zone’. The pressmen were then transported to Marte to see how the Boko Haram enclave in the outskirt of Krenoa, near the Cameroon border, was destroyed.
But by the middle of 2014, the Boko Haram attacked several villages in Marte LGA, resulting in casualties and destruction, but were unable to take absolute control of the area considering that there was strong collaboration between the Nigerian troops and their Cameroonian counterparts.
In August 2016, the Borno State government insisted that Marte was still not fully cleared of insurgents, contrary to earlier military claims.
In January 2021, fighters of the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP), who have been trading “ownership” of the large swathes of the Lake Area with the Boko Haram fighters loyal to the late Abubakar Shekau, overran a military base in Marte, killing 7 soldiers and seizing weapons.
And in March 2021, after coordinated attacks on Marte and Dikwa, 101 Nigerian soldiers were declared missing or as deserters.
The Nigerian Army declared that 12 officers and 86 soldiers were missing in the wake of the attacks.
A signal dated March 1, 2021 from Operation Lafiya Dole Headquarters in Maiduguri, sighted by the Daily Trust, showed that the soldiers were declared as deserters.
It indicated that three majors, three captains, six lieutenants, three sergeants and 89 soldiers fled in the aftermath of the attacks on Marte and Dikwa.
In October 2024, Boko Haram ambushed a military convoy along the Dikwa–New Marte road, killing two soldiers and several vigilantes.
Locals fault military
Many residents in areas attacked by terrorists, where the military was dislodged from various formations around Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills in the Sambisa Forest, have expressed concerns over what they describe as laxity in military operations.
One of the locals, a vigilante, claimed that the military no longer takes the fight to terrorist enclaves.
“They always wait for the terrorists to attack, and in most cases, they end up being defeated. The soldiers no longer seem motivated to fight,” he said.
Another resident in Buni Gari said they were overly confident that the military would repel any terrorist attack.
“Seeing the huge arsenal stationed at the 27 Task Force Brigade, one would never imagine the insurgents would dare to attack. Unfortunately, they did.
“The troops fled and allowed the attackers to loot all the weapons in the armoury,” he said.
Challenges in securing Marte
A retired Colonel, who had once worked in Borno and preferred to be called by his second name, Ibrahim, said porous borders and Marte’s closeness to the Lake Chad and Cameroon, allows insurgents easy movement across borders.
He said, “Marte is over 130 km from the state capital, and on many occasions, this impediment delays reinforcements and logistics.
“Also, disagreements between Nigeria and neighbouring countries weakened the Multinational Joint Task Force’s effectiveness. Similarly, difficult terrain and poor infrastructure hinder sustained military presence in Marte and environs. The federal government must find a way of making the MNJTF work again,” he said.
Timeline of attacks
The latest attack came barely ten days after suspected Boko Haram terrorists overran the 27 Task Force Brigade in Buni Gari, Gujba LGA of Yobe State, where they decapitated four soldiers and burned down military assets.
A military source who survived the May 3 attack told Daily Trust that weapons were looted from the armoury, with several operational vehicles and other critical equipment destroyed.
“We were taken off guard by the heavy explosion and gunfire from the terrorists, but we stood our ground.
“Yes, we lost four of our men, just as they also suffered casualties. A lot of our fighting equipment was destroyed during the encounter,” he said.
“The terrorists looted infantry weapons from the army store, including artillery and many patrol vehicles. They burned down eight MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) and armoured tanks. It’s a huge loss,” another military source said.
Also, on May 7, 2025, an Army Captain and a soldier were killed by Boko Haram terrorists during a midnight attack on the Izge community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Emir of Gwoza, Mohammed Shehu Timta, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, saying the terrorists infiltrated the farming community and attacked a military position.
“They were shooting sporadically before personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, assisted by Civilian JTF, hunters, and vigilantes, repelled the terrorists. Sadly, we lost a captain and a soldier,” he said.
In another incident on March 24, 2025, terrorists attacked the Wulgo military formation in Borno State, killing at least 20 Cameroonian troops. They carted away weapons and set the base ablaze.
Security and civilian sources assisting in the counterinsurgency operations said the insurgents disguised themselves as herders to launch the coordinated attack.
“They struck the base around 1 am and engaged troops for nearly three hours before overwhelming the gallant fighters. They burned down the base and took away several weapons.
“Among the cache seized by the terrorists were Soviet-made Shilka guns—lightly armoured, radar-guided anti-aircraft weapons—alongside rifles and ammunition,” a military source said.
So far, neither the Nigerian military nor the Cameroonian authorities have released official details about the stolen or destroyed weapons during the attack.
On March 25, 2025, Boko Haram terrorists also attacked a military location in Wajiroko, near Sabon-Gari in the Damboa council area of Borno State, killing at least four soldiers and wounding an unspecified number.
A Situation Report (SITREP) sighted by our correspondent detailed how the military formation was attacked. Reinforcement troops who responded stepped on a landmine, which claimed the lives of three soldiers.
In this attack, the insurgents also dislodged the troops and looted military equipment from the base.
Reacting to the spate of Boko Haram attacks, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) expressed shock over the rising terrorist activities in his Senatorial District.
While acknowledging the efforts of the military and other security agencies, he urged the federal government to take decisive action against insurgency by deploying advanced technology, including drones, to combat the terrorists.
Also, on March 25, Boko Haram insurgents attacked and dislodged troops under the 120 Task Force Battalion in Goneri, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Our correspondent reports that many military assets were destroyed and looted during the assault.
According to security sources, the terrorists made away with patrol vehicles, rocket-propelled grenades, general-purpose machine guns, motorcycles, and other military hardware.
He added that armoured tanks, base buildings, and other critical infrastructure were also destroyed by the attackers.
Loss of weapons can affect military capabilities, morale – Expert
Dr Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, has described the loss of arms and ammunition at Giwa Barracks and other military locations as deeply concerning.
“This can directly affect the operational readiness of troops involved in Operation Hadin Kai and other security operations in the Northeast and the Lake Chad Basin,” he said.
Adamu explained that logistical supply lines—already under strain due to the harsh and complex operating environment—could be further disrupted, making equipment replacement and recovery even more difficult.
He also warned about the psychological toll the incidents could have on military personnel.
“The explosion undermines their sense of safety and security, especially as they reside within the barracks. This can lead to decreased morale, heightened anxiety, and a weakened fighting spirit,” he said.
Adamu further noted that such experiences could erode trust in safety protocols and the leadership responsible for enforcing them.
He said the temporary disruption caused by the explosion could hamper the effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai until the lost equipment and munitions are replaced.
“In terms of counter-terrorism efforts, this incident could be a setback. It may embolden groups such as JAS (Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) to escalate attacks on both military and civilian targets. They may view the explosion as a sign of vulnerability,” he added.
Adamu also expressed concern about the potential erosion of public trust, particularly in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
“For civilians in Maiduguri, who already live under the constant threat of insurgency, an explosion within a major military facility is deeply unsettling. It may raise fears about overall security and diminish confidence in the military’s ability to protect them, potentially affecting intelligence sharing from the local population,” he said.
We neutralised several insurgents – Army
The leadership of the Operation Hadin Kai, yesterday said the offensive operations launched against the insurgents were successful despite the noticeable setbacks.
It specifically said several insurgents hibernating within the Sambisa Forest were neutralised while their assorted weapons were recovered during the fierce battle.
This was contained in a statement by the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations (Headquarters Theatre Command Operation HADIN KAI), Captain Reuben Kovangiya.
He said that during the operations in Ladin Buttu, a key terrorist enclave, troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle, leveraging their superior firepower and dexterity to neutralise five terrorists.
According to him, further operations in the area revealed signs of blood on the terrorists’ withdrawal routes, indicating that those who escaped suffered gunshot wounds.
He said, “Ladin Buttu is a strategic location for the insurgents, allowing them to coordinate logistics and move within the forest.
“The leadership of Operation HADIN KAI commended the troops for their bravery and tactical prowess, noting that the exploit aligns with the recent operational directives of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, for invigorating offensive operations on all fronts.”
Borno facing renewed threat from insurgents, Zulum warns
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum had about a month ago expressed concern over the resurgence of Boko Haram activities in Borno State, warning that the insurgents were regaining ground and posing a serious threat to security and stability in the region.
Speaking during a Special Expanded Security Meeting held in April in Maiduguri, the governor lamented the increasing frequency of attacks, abductions, and the overrunning of military formations by the terrorists.
“It is deeply troubling that renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings are occurring almost daily in several communities, often without resistance. This trend suggests that Borno is gradually losing ground,” Zulum said.
He acknowledged the support of the federal government and security agencies in the ongoing counter-insurgency efforts but emphasised the urgent need for enhanced military capability, particularly through advanced equipment and technology deployment.
“My administration has consistently supported the military and other security outfits, contributing to the relative peace we experienced over the past three years. However, recent incidents in Wajirko, Sabon Gari (Damboa), Wulgo (Gamboru Ngala), and Izge (Gwoza) — including the dislodgement of military posts and loss of civilian and military lives — are serious setbacks,” he noted.
Governor Zulum stressed that the current security lapses, especially in the Sahelian areas bordering Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, demand immediate and coordinated response.
“We cannot allow these criminals to undermine our security further. We will ensure that the relevant authorities work together to put an end to these activities,” he said.
