Borno’s lingering insurgency took a darker turn on Thursday after Boko Haram fighters ambushed members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), killing eight volunteers and leaving three others unaccounted for in a brutal daytime assault.
The incident has once again stirred fears in a region where communities rely more on local hunters and vigilantes than on regular security forces.
Furthermore, the victims were part of Warabe’s self-defence network, a group that has long stood as the community’s primary buffer against insurgent incursions.
Their routine outing turned fatal when the attackers struck with overwhelming force, according to early accounts from locals.
The ambush happened around 10:00 a.m. on November 20 in Warabe, a remote village in Gwoza Local Government Area. Residents said the CJTF team had stepped out to gather firewood when Boko Haram fighters advanced on them.
A member of the community who spoke with this reporter confirmed that the casualties were almost entirely CJTF volunteers.
“These were men who defended us for years,” the resident said. “They were taken by surprise and had no chance to regroup.”
Warabe lies between Pulka and Gwoza town and has no permanent military deployment, a gap that has forced residents to depend on local fighters and hunters for protection as the insurgency drags past its tenth year.
Community members say this lack of federal presence continues to fuel their vulnerability.
Witnesses recounted that the insurgents arrived on at least five motorcycles, carrying more than 20 fighters armed with heavy weapons.
Additional Boko Haram members reportedly advanced on foot to encircle the area.
CJTF volunteers attempted to repel the assault but were soon overwhelmed after running out of ammunition.
“They fought as hard as they could,” another villager explained. “But once their bullets finished, the attackers overpowered them.”
The insurgents executed the defenders, seized their weapons, and allegedly used the victims’ phones to lure other hunters by pretending to call for reinforcement.
By the time support eventually reached the scene, the attackers had vanished into the surrounding bush with the stolen arms.
Three CJTF members remain missing, and locals fear they may have been abducted during the chaos.
The closest military base is situated in Pulka, roughly seven kilometres from Warabe, while Gwoza town sits about 15 kilometres away.
Residents insist the absence of soldiers in their village leaves them exposed each time Boko Haram strikes, deepening anxieties in a community already stretched beyond endurance.