February 16, 2026 l Dalena Reporters
Communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State were reportedly subjected to a prolonged terrorist assault lasting more than 10 hours, during which residents say gunmen moved with impunity raising fresh questions about security presence and responsiveness in vulnerable border regions.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts from villagers, the attack unfolded in the early hours of Sunday, February 15, 2026, when suspected armed militants believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram or ISWAP splinter factions began striking small towns and communities along the remote Borgu border belt. Sources told Sahara Reporters that for more than 10 hours, terrorists raided homes, burned buildings, looted property, and forced residents to flee for safety, all while military and other security personnel were reportedly absent from the scene.
Some community members said the assailants struck without challenge, moving from village to village and leaving destruction in their wake. “We heard gunshots early in the morning, then for hours they were everywhere — burning houses, shooting sporadically,” one resident said. “We tried calling security forces, but no one came.”
Residents also reported that militants used the terrain to their advantage, taking advantage of forest cover and poor road networks to evade detection and delay security responses. Many families fled into the bush with limited food and belongings, seeking shelter until the gunfire subsided and it was safer to return.
Local leaders and civil society voices have condemned what they describe as a shocking security lapse, noting that Borgu’s proximity to porous borders and historical vulnerability to cross-border crime have long demanded stronger military presence and intelligence operations. Critics assert that the prolonged nature of the attack — occurring without any apparent intervention from Nigeria’s armed forces, police, or allied security agencies — highlights persistent gaps in protection for residents in hard-to-reach areas.
In response to the incident, some community advocates called on state and federal authorities to revise security deployment strategies to ensure rapid reaction capabilities, better surveillance of border corridors, and stronger engagement with local vigilance groups familiar with the terrain. They also urged clearer communication from the military about response failures and plans to prevent similar episodes.
Security sources from Niger State told Sahara Reporters that patrols were eventually deployed later in the day after the bulk of the attack subsided, but details on arrests, casualties, or specific militant identities remained unclear at the time of reporting. Authorities have yet to issue a detailed public account of the incident or provide updated information on subsequent operations in the affected areas.
The attack in Borgu — marked by its duration and apparent lack of challenge from state security forces — underscores the ongoing struggle to secure rural communities in Nigeria’s volatile borderlands, where residents often bear the brunt of militant violence, while responses from security agencies are criticised as delayed or insufficient.