Suspected Boko Haram terrorists launched a coordinated overnight attack on Logomani community in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, killing a soldier after assaulting a military base before razing a police outpost, a primary healthcare centre and two classrooms.
The attackers, who struck late Tuesday night, reportedly targeted the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Logomani before advancing into the community, where they fired sporadically to disperse residents and set public facilities ablaze.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued on Thursday, the Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, said troops successfully repelled the assault despite suffering casualties and equipment losses.
According to him, troops deployed at the Forward Operating Base under Sector One contained the attack after fierce fighting with the insurgents.
“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Logomani in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State under Sector One successfully contained a coordinated attack by ISWAP terrorists.
“Although the insurgents briefly exploited a section of the base’s defensive perimeter during the intense firefight, the troops rapidly regrouped, mounted a determined counter-offensive and decisively expelled the attackers, inflicting significant casualties and forcing the surviving terrorists to flee with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“Regrettably, one gallant soldier paid the supreme price, while two gun trucks and some combat enablers sustained damage during the engagement,” Goni stated.
He added that the military had regained full control of the base, with reinforcements already deployed and exploitation operations ongoing to strengthen security around the area.
“The situation at the Forward Operating Base in Logomani remains firmly under the control of Operation Hadin Kai troops, with reinforcements deployed, exploitation operations ongoing and additional measures being implemented to further strengthen the location’s defensive resilience,” he added.
Residents who witnessed the attack described the invasion as well-coordinated, saying the terrorists overwhelmed security personnel before torching public facilities.
“We all left the community during the attack. The terrorists were very sophisticated. After they overpowered the Army, they entered the school and burnt down two classrooms. They also attacked a police outpost and a hospital, which they burnt down,” one resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said.
A local security source disclosed that a combined team of military personnel, police officers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force immediately launched a pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.
“They had fled a considerable distance,” the source said.
Following the attack, the Executive Chairman of Ngala Local Government Council, Mala Tijjani Ngala, visited Logomani on Wednesday to assess the extent of the destruction.
The council chairman inspected the burnt police outpost, primary healthcare centre and damaged primary school, assuring residents that the findings of the assessment would be forwarded to the Borno State Government for immediate intervention.
He also appealed to residents to remain calm and continue cooperating with security agencies as efforts to secure the area continue.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
