Boko Haram Attacks Nigerian Army Barracks in Banki, Seizes Weapons
The assault began late on Thursday night, around 9:30 p.m., and lasted into the early hours of Friday. Residents and security sources said the insurgents stormed the town in large numbers, targeting the military formation stationed there.
According to eyewitnesses, soldiers initially resisted but were forced to retreat under sustained heavy gunfire. Reports indicate that the commanding officer and several troops withdrew towards the Cameroonian border, leaving the barracks vulnerable.
Multiple sources, including local Civilian Joint Task Force members, confirmed that the attackers overran the facility, seized weapons, and looted military hardware. At least seven people were killed, among them three soldiers, while the number of casualties on the insurgents’ side remains unknown.
Residents of Banki described scenes of panic as military and paramilitary personnel abandoned their posts, fleeing across the border for safety. “They came in large numbers, shooting everywhere. The soldiers could not withstand them,” one source told reporters.
The Nigerian Army has not yet issued an official statement on the incident, and details about the extent of the losses including the exact number of weapons taken remain unclear.
Banki, which lies along the Nigerian-Cameroon border, has been a flashpoint in the Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade. The town was once under Boko Haram control before being recaptured by the military, but it has suffered repeated attacks from both Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The latest assault underscores the persistent security challenges facing northeastern Nigeria, despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations. The situation in Banki also raises fresh concerns about the safety of civilians and displaced persons in the volatile border community.
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