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.
4 Jul 2025 · Malam Fatori, Abadam, Borno
Deaths
11
Injured
20
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
31
Perpetrators
ISWAP
Response
The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) confirmed the area was under military control. Nigerian troops repelled the assault, neutralising 80 insurgents. Governor Babagana Zulum sent a delegation to commiserate with victims, presenting N500,000 to each bereaved family and N250,000 to each injured victim. The government also announced plans to dig trenches around the LGA headquarters to prevent future attacks.
Socioeconomic drivers
The attack on an IDP camp represents a deliberate strategy to target vulnerable populations, maximise casualties, and undermine government efforts to provide safe havens for displaced persons. The camp was located in a border area with limited state presence.
Trajectory
The Malam Fatori IDP camp attack was the second major ISWAP operation in the same town in 2025. On 26 January 2025, a suicide bomber killed 27 Nigerian soldiers in Malam Fatori . The fact that ISWAP returned to the same location within six months — this time targeting civilians — indicates the group's persistence in the area and its ability to adapt tactics. The attack also followed a pattern of ISWAP targeting IDP camps, which are often poorly defended and house vulnerable populations.
Cycle notes
This attack echoes previous ISWAP and Boko Haram attacks on IDP camps in Borno State, including the 2021 Rann attack and the 2022 Dikwa camp attack. The targeting of Malam Fatori — a remote border town — reflects the group's strategy of operating in areas with limited security presence. The attack also occurred on the same day as a Lakurawa attack in Sokoto State, highlighting the coordinated nature of jihadist violence across northern Nigeria on 4 July 2025
Pattern
IDP Targeting
Sources
Related — Armed Attack
In a pre-dawn raid, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram (JAS faction) insurgents attacked the Faudiya Islamic School in Geidam. The school, which belongs to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), was targeted while students were asleep. The attackers arrived on motorcycles, infiltrated the boarding facility, and opened fire. Unlike ISWAP’s typical focus on state infrastructure or specific "enemies," this JAS-style attack was an indiscriminate strike on a religious educational institution.
Gunmen abducted a university professor in Guratopp, Jos South LGA, Plateau State.
Gunmen attacked security personnel along Egbe-Eruku Road in Yagba West LGA, Kogi , killing three police officers and two vigilantes.