The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a designated terrorist organization, has claimed responsibility for a series of violent attacks this month targeting both security forces and Christian civilians in Nigeria’s Borno and Adamawa states. In a series of seven communiqués published via its Amaq media outlet, ISWAP detailed coordinated assaults between April 13 and 16, including ambushes, arson, and executions. The group released photos and video footage purporting to show the aftermath of their attacks.
In Yamtage, Borno State, ISWAP claimed it killed three Nigerian soldiers, set fire to an army barracks, and executed four members of a pro-government militia following their capture. The group has previously targeted vigilante groups and local defense volunteers cooperating with the Nigerian military.
In neighboring Adamawa State, ISWAP said it launched two consecutive raids on Banga village, a predominantly Christian community. The first attack on April 15 reportedly left two civilians dead, razed over 30 homes, and destroyed a local church. On April 16, militants allegedly ambushed a police patrol in the same area, injuring multiple officers and damaging their vehicle. The group also released imagery of buildings in Lareh village engulfed in flames, though it did not explicitly claim responsibility for that incident. These attacks come amid a resurgence in jihadist violence in the northeast, where ISWAP and Boko Haram have waged a deadly insurgency since 2009, displacing over 2.5 million people and killing an estimated 35,000.
In response to the escalating threat, the Nigerian government has increased its 2025 defense budget by over 40%, with President Bola Tinubu pledging to “neutralize terrorist strongholds” and reinforce civilian protection in vulnerable regions. Despite military operations and regional counterterrorism efforts, ISWAP continues to exploit weak state presence in rural areas, especially in Borno’s Sambisa Forest and parts of the Lake Chad Basin.
