MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — At least 11 people were killed and two others seriously injured after armed militants attacked a remote village in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State overnight, local officials said Wednesday, in the latest incident highlighting persistent insecurity in the region.
The assault occurred late Tuesday in Pubagu, a rural community near the outskirts of Sambisa Forest, an area long associated with insurgent activity. Residents said the victims were buried on Wednesday and blamed the attack on Boko Haram militants, although no group had formally claimed responsibility.
Mwada Saidu Uba, chairman of the local council, said the village had previously been regarded as relatively secure compared with other nearby communities affected by violence.
“Pubagu had not experienced this kind of attack before,” he said following funeral rites for the victims. He added that the two injured survivors were receiving treatment at a nearby medical facility.
Usman Rumirgo, a local administrative official, said attackers also set several homes on fire before withdrawing from the area.
Rural communities across northeastern Nigeria remain vulnerable to attacks by insurgent groups and criminal gangs, many of which exploit weak security coverage, difficult terrain, and limited state presence.
Borno State has been at the center of Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency, which has displaced millions and caused widespread humanitarian hardship over more than a decade.
The main armed groups operating in the region include Boko Haram and its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from Boko Haram and later aligned itself with the Islamic State network. Other armed groups, including kidnapping and smuggling gangs, also contribute to instability in parts of northern Nigeria.
