February 01, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters Staff Correspondent
In a devastating escalation of violence in northeastern Nigeria, armed Jihadist extremists attacked civilian and military targets this week, killing at least 25 construction workers in a brutal ambush and leaving communities shocked and on edge, security officials told Dalena Reporters.
The attack occurred on Thursday in the town of Sabon Gari, located in Nigeria’s volatile Borno State, where multiple militant groups operate amid a long-running insurgency. A senior officer with the Borno State Police Command confirmed the death toll but noted that Nigerian authorities often do not release full casualty figures immediately for security reasons.
“It is a devastating loss, and the hallmarks point directly to insurgents entrenched in this region,” the police officer said, referring to the signature tactics of Boko Haram and its splinter factions.
The victims were reportedly construction workers engaged on a site when gunmen opened fire. Many of those killed were local laborers whose families have been left grappling with the sudden loss of loved ones.
The same extremists are also believed to have carried out a coordinated assault on a nearby army base earlier that day. Security sources in Sabon Gari said that soldiers and civilian volunteers assisting government forces were among those killed and wounded during heavy fighting. At least nine soldiers and two civilian task force members were reported killed alongside approximately 16 security personnel injured and evacuated for medical treatment.
It remains unclear whether the raid on the military installation was conducted by Boko Haram or the rival faction known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have been active in northeastern Nigeria for years.
Boko Haram, which originated in 2009 with an extremist campaign against Western education and governance, has evolved into a multifaceted insurgency responsible for widespread violence across the region. The conflict has displaced more than 2 million civilians, killed tens of thousands, and spilled into neighboring Niger and Chad.
Local vigilante groups, such as the Civilian Joint Task Force, have long supported Nigerian military operations, but the sheer intensity of recent attacks underscores the persistent challenges facing security forces attempting to stabilize the region. A senior officer from the task force confirmed the construction worker casualty figures and expressed deep concern over the militants’ willingness to target civilians engaged in reconstruction work.
The renewed violence comes amid broader instability across Nigeria, where insurgent tactics have expanded to include kidnappings, ambushes, and attacks on soft targets, hampering reconstruction efforts and undermining community confidence.
Nigerian authorities have not yet released a formal statement on the incidents, but residents in Borno State say they fear the climate of insecurity could worsen if government forces cannot stem militant advances. International partners and humanitarian agencies continue to warn that without sustained security gains and support for affected communities, the cycle of violence may persist.