Suspected jihadist fighters linked to Boko Haram launched an overnight attack on a Nigerian military post on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.
The attack occurred shortly after midnight on Monday in the Ajilari Cross district, a southwestern suburb of Maiduguri located just a few kilometres from the city’s airport.
Residents said they were awakened by heavy gunfire coming from a nearby military base.
Mustapha Aminu, a resident of Ajilari Cross, told reporters that the shooting began around 12:15 a.m.
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“We started hearing gunshots coming from the military base. Later, we realised it was an attack by insurgents believed to be Boko Haram,” he said.
Security forces reportedly responded quickly and repelled the attackers after a brief confrontation.
Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed that joint security operatives were already on heightened alert when the militants attempted to infiltrate the area.
According to him, security personnel engaged the insurgents and forced them to retreat.
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Authorities said no civilian or military casualties were recorded, although residents claimed that at least four of the attackers were killed during the clash.
Another attempted attack was also reported in Damboa Local Government Area, south of Maiduguri.
Emergency services in Borno State said they received reports of attacks by non-state armed groups but confirmed that the military successfully repelled them.
Residents described the incident as unusual, noting that Maiduguri had enjoyed relative calm in recent years after years of deadly violence.
One resident, Yakaka Ali Gana, said the community had never witnessed such an attack before.
“This is the first time attackers have stormed our community and attacked the military base,” he said.
Maiduguri was once a major hotspot in the insurgency launched by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
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The insurgency, which began more than 16 years ago, has killed over 40,000 people and displaced around two million across northeastern Nigeria.
Security analysts say militant groups have recently increased attacks on military bases across the region.
Meanwhile, the United States Africa Command recently announced the deployment of about 200 American troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to Nigerian forces combating jihadist groups.
The deployment followed comments by Donald Trump, who described the violence as persecution of Christians—an interpretation Nigeria’s government and many analysts dispute, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of the insurgency.
Despite Monday’s attack, authorities say security forces remain in control of the situation in Maiduguri.
