Maiduguri, Borno.
May 4, 2022
The people of Chibok in Borno State are once again in the news after a late-night attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents left scores dead, several others missing, and dozens of homes destroyed.
According to AFP, The Insurgents stormed the town around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, firing and torching houses, shops, and churches.
Residents fled into the nearby bush, some barefoot, others carrying children on their backs.
“We heard motorcycles and then gunfire,” said Ibrahim John, a resident who escaped with his wife and children. “It felt like the world was ending.”
When day broke, the damage became clear. Rows of houses had been burned to the ground. The market square was filled with ash and twisted metal. People moved quietly through the ruins, searching for missing relatives and whatever could be saved.
Among those unaccounted for are Albert Eyimofe Esiri, Dauda Saleh, and Isa Yakubu, three local men believed to have been abducted during the raid. Community leaders said nine young girls, aged 6, 14, and 16, were also taken from their homes.
For Mrs. Esimajemite Esiri, a 38-year-old mother of one, the night ended with heartbreak. Her husband, Albert, was taken while trying to protect their family.
“He told us to hide behind the broken wall,” she said, her eyes swollen from crying. “Our daughter was crying, and they heard us. He told me to run with her while he stayed behind. That was the last time I saw him.”
Her six-year-old daughter sat beside her, silent, staring at the ground. Each time someone passed by, she asked the same question: “Have you seen my daddy?”
“I don’t have answers for her,” Mrs. Esiri said, crying.”
Pastor James Yakubu, whose church was among the buildings destroyed, said the attack has once again left the community shaken.
“We rebuild, and they come again,” he said. “Our people have no rest. We keep burying our own.”
Local officials confirmed that soldiers from the 20 Task Force Brigade in Damboa responded to distress calls but arrived after the attackers had fled. Security patrols have since been increased in the area.
Fear Returns to a Familiar Place
For Chibok, the attack reopens old wounds. The town became a global symbol of Boko Haram’s brutality in 2014 when more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted. Eight years later, the community still lives in fear.
“People no longer sleep at night,” said Mallam Adamu, a local elder. “Everyone keeps a bag packed. If we hear gunshots, we just run.”
Humanitarian officials say hundreds of people have fled to camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in nearby towns. Aid workers have begun distributing food, blankets, and medical supplies.
Security experts say the attack is part of a wider pattern of violence in southern Borno, where Boko Haram factions remain active despite military operations.
“These assaults are designed to terrorize rural communities and remind them that the group still exists,” said Dr. Kabiru Musa, a security analyst based in Yola.
Hope Amid Loss
As the sun set over the town on Wednesday, survivors gathered in the open field near St. Peter’s Church, holding candles and singing hymns for those lost. Some prayed for the return of the missing.
Mrs. Esiri and her daughter stood together, their faces lit by candlelight.
“We just want him back,” she said softly. “We believe he is still alive.”
