Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists have killed a vigilante commander and four civilians during an attack on Wumbi community in Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.
The incident was confirmed by the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, who said a vigilante leader and four other people were killed in the attack.
Daso said further details would be released as more information becomes available.
Sources said the attack occurred on Monday, September 21, but information about the incident was delayed because of the lack of telecommunications services in the area.
According to one of the sources, the attackers arrived in large numbers armed with rifles, improvised explosive devices and other weapons, forcing several farmers to flee the community.
The vigilante commander was reportedly left behind and later surrounded and killed by the attackers, who allegedly 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 during the operation, killing four additional people and injuring several others.
Wumbi, an agrarian community located near the Cameroon border, has reportedly been largely deserted because of insecurity. Some residents are said to have relocated across the border while returning periodically to farm under the protection of CJTF members and vigilantes.
The circumstances surrounding 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 those killed and residents of Wumbi.