ISWAP Burns Houses in Logomani to Thwart Borno Government's Resettlement Efforts

By Zagazola Makama

In a recent attack, a group of at least 25 ISWAP fighters, led by commander Mustapha Ali and chief bomb maker Abdulrahman, targeted the town of Gajibo in Dikwa Local Government Area. These insurgents, affiliated with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), deliberately set fire to houses that had been recently constructed under the supervision of Professor Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno State.

The assault occurred on Wednesday night when the terrorists entered Gajibo and ignited several of the new houses before quickly withdrawing from the area. These properties were built as a collaborative effort between the Borno State Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed at providing shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Reliable sources informed Zagazola Makama that the ISWAP's attack was strategically aimed at the government's new structures. This act of arson was a direct response to the Borno State Government's initiative to resettle IDPs back into the Logomani and Gajibo communities.

Furthermore, it was reported that the group also included Abdulrahaman, the ISWAP chief bomb maker. He was responsible for planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the roads, intending to target Nigerian troops. However, one of these IEDs prematurely detonated, killing several cows owned by Fulani herdsmen instead.

The sources also revealed that ISWAP has deployed additional bomb experts, such as Abuwar Bizi and Man Ba'ana, also known as "Government House," who had received IED training in Somalia. These experts have been planting IEDs indiscriminately along the road in Gamborun Ngala, posing a significant threat to the safety of the area.