Hundreds of residents of Kirawa, Borno State, have fled to neighbouring Cameroon following a Boko Haram attack that forced the withdrawal of troops from the community.
Since the assault on Saturday, displaced villagers have been crossing into Cameroon at night to sleep in streets, classrooms, mosques, and other makeshift shelters, returning to Nigeria during the day in fear of further attacks.
District Head of Kirawa, Abdulrahman Abubakar, confirmed the development, describing it as unprecedented since the community was resettled years ago. “Our people now juggle between two countries to stay alive. We can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed,” he said.
Residents lamented harsh conditions in Cameroon. “On Monday night, it rained heavily, and many slept under the downpour. Others sought shelter in a mosque, on the roads, and in classrooms,” said displaced villager Buba Aji, who appealed for urgent troop deployment.
Another resident, Atahiru Lawan, estimated that 80–90 percent of Kirawa’s population, including children, had crossed the border. “We have no accommodation, no aid, no assistance.
Please, the government should come to our rescue,” he pleaded.
Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, Gen. Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.), said the state government was aware of the situation and “working on it.”
However, the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, claimed the attack targeted a Cameroonian military base in Kirawa, not Nigerian troops.
His statement drew criticism from the Chairman of the Kirawa Development Association, Yakubu Mabba, who insisted there were no Nigerian soldiers stationed in the town. “If anyone wants to confirm that people were displaced, they should come and see for themselves,” he said.