An estimated 100-200 suspected Boko Haram insurgents, riding on motorcycles with at least three fighters on each bike, attacked the military base in Allawa. They stormed the camp, sacked the soldiers on duty, and looted the village, carting away cash, foodstuffs, and other valuables. The attack was reportedly a reprisal for a military operation that had neutralised about 50 of their fighters in the area the previous week. The military camp was later deserted by personnel, prompting many residents of Allawa and surrounding communities like Pandogari, Kukoki, and Bassa to flee the area for safety
24 Apr 2024 · Allawa, Shiroro, Niger
Kidnapped
0
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) later carried out airstrikes on terrorist hideouts in the Allawa area, specifically on 5 May 2024, targeting a primary school that had been torched by the attackers.
Displacement
Hundreds of residents from Allawa and neighbouring communities, including women, children, and the elderly, fled to safer havens in Kuta, Gwada, and Minna
Socioeconomic drivers
The attack was likely a retaliation for a previous military offensive that had killed an estimated 50 insurgents in the area. The attack exposed the vulnerability of remote military bases. The camp was reportedly deserted after the attack.
Trajectory
The attack on Allawa is part of a wider trend of Boko Haram expanding its operational theatre beyond the North-East into the North-Central region, specifically Niger. It followed a pattern of attacks on military targets in Shiroro LGA. The subsequent withdrawal of troops and the NAF airstrikes underscore the ongoing struggle to contain the insurgency.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks including 18 November 2018 – Metele assault involving a large-scale overrunning of a military base, 04 March 2020 – Damboa Super Camp attack targeting a fortified position, 15 January 2021 – Marte base assault forcing troop withdrawal and temporary insurgent control, 01 March 2021 – Dikwa attack involving a multi-wave seizure of a town and military installation, and 23 March 2024 – Gujba base attack targeting patrol assets, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram conducts high-mobility, large-scale assaults on remote military bases—often as reprisals for prior losses—overwhelming troops, looting supplies, and triggering civilian displacement while signaling an expansion of operational reach beyond traditional strongholds into areas like Niger.
Pattern
Military Base Assault
Related — Armed Attack
ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) militants launched a coordinated assault on Malam Fatori town in Abadam Local Government Area, Borno State, along the border with the Niger Republic . The attackers arrived in several gun trucks and opened fire on a camp housing thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had fled previous insurgent violence. The militants also set fire to the local hospital and government buildings before withdrawing.
Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists launched a deadly attack on Tunbun Rogo, a fishing village in the Kukawa LGA of Borno State. The attackers rounded up the fishermen, who were from Monguno, Doron Baga, Cross Kauwa, and Baga towns. According to an eyewitness, the terrorists claimed they wanted to "preach" to the fishermen before their commander ordered their execution. Thirty-one fishermen were killed, while 40 others managed to escape.
Suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed a lodge housing construction workers in the Bolori area of Maiduguri, Borno State. The attackers slit the throats of nine workers, all of whom were engaged in the construction of the Shehu of Borno’s Central Mosque project. The victims were reportedly killed while sleeping. A military spokesman confirmed the bodies were recovered with deep machete cuts; local residents reported that the attackers invaded the area around 1 am and left after the operation. The nine victims comprised eight men and one woman.