Ten members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were on a routine patrol in their vehicle along a bush path between Mafa and Konduga. The vehicle drove over an IED suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists. The explosion killed two members instantly and injured the remaining eight.
17 Jan 2024 · Mafa, Mafa, Borno
Deaths
2
Injured
8
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
10
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
The eight injured members were taken to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment. The LGA Chairman visited the hospital to commiserate with them and assured their families of proper medical care
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Boko Haram and its splinter groups have increasingly used IEDs and landmines to target civilian and military convoys as part of their asymmetric warfare tactics, especially after being pushed out of major towns
Trajectory
The attack also occurred amidst a resurgence of Boko Haram and ISWAP activity in the Lake Chad basin region, with reports of attacks and landmine explosions in Mafa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, and Kala-balge LGAs—strategic economic areas along the Lake Chad basin
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks including 31 May 2018 – Pridang–Bitta road IED ambush targeting military movement, 29 June 2018 – Banki landmine incident following an IDP camp raid, 17 January 2021 – Gorgi multi-IED field attack against armored convoy, 08 January 2024 – Gamboru–Maiduguri highway IED strike on a humanitarian convoy, and 09 January 2024 – Kunibaa landmine explosion targeting civilian transport, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram increasingly deploys improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along both highways and rural paths—targeting not only military convoys but also auxiliary security actors such as the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), in an effort to weaken local intelligence networks, restrict mobility, and reassert insurgent influence across key operational corridors in northeastern Nigeria.
Pattern
IED Explosion
Related — Bombing/IED
A group of travelers—identified as livestock/cattle traders returning from a weekly Sunday market in Buni Yadi—were ambushed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. The attackers opened fire indiscriminately on the travelers. As the victims attempted to flee in their vehicles, they triggered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that had been buried along the road by the insurgents. The explosion killed two people on the spot and seriously injured three others .
Two female suicide bombers, both approximately 18 years old, attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri town early in the morning. They were spotted behind the NNPC Mega Station by security personnel on duty, who ordered them to halt. When the bombers continued to advance, security forces engaged. One bomber was shot dead; the second surrendered and was arrested alive.
Three female suicide bombers, believed to have been sent by Boko Haram, arrived in Shuwari Buri village. They initially told villagers they were travelers and requested accommodation for the night, but were refused on security grounds. Two of the bombers then rushed into a thatched hut and detonated their explosives, killing two brothers who had retired for the night. The third bomber detonated her explosives among residents who had gathered at the scene, injuring seven people.