Eight members of an anti-jihadist militia were killed on Tuesday, July 16, when their vehicle struck a landmine in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State. The deadly explosion occurred as the group was returning to Maiduguri, the state capital, after assisting in the defense of a military base in the town of Marte against a jihadist assault.
According to militia leaders Babakura Kolo and Ibrahim Liman, the victims were part of a local force that collaborates with the Nigerian military to counter extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The incident took place around 2:00 pm local time, along the route between Marte and Dikwa. All eight militia members on board the vehicle were killed instantly.
“Their bodies were recovered and brought to Maiduguri,” said Liman, adding that they are scheduled to be buried the following morning.
The attack comes just weeks after a deadly ISWAP assault in mid-May on the Marte military base, which left four Nigerian soldiers dead and resulted in the theft of weapons and the destruction of the base. Tuesday’s blast is part of a broader pattern of violence attributed to jihadist groups operating in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring regions.
The Nigerian military confirmed it had repelled a new jihadist attempt to infiltrate the Marte base with support from air operations. In the latest fighting, two soldiers were also reported killed.
Over the past two months, jihadist fighters have stepped up their offensives, overrunning more than a dozen military outposts across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, according to figures compiled by AFP.
The jihadist insurgency, now in its 16th year, has claimed over 40,000 lives and forced nearly two million people from their homes, according to United Nations estimates. The conflict has also destabilized the broader Lake Chad region, affecting parts of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. In response, a regional military coalition has been established to combat the insurgency and coordinate cross-border operations.
As violence escalates, the sacrifice of local militia members underscores the growing toll of Nigeria’s prolonged battle against extremism in the northeast.
