MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA — A wave of terror gripped the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday evening, as suspected insurgents heavily aligned with Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) invaded Kautikari village, setting multiple educational institutions on fire.
The coordinated assault has plunged the historic and vulnerable community back into panic, drawing eerie parallels to the region’s long history of targeted educational destruction.
The Saturday Evening Raid
According to local sources, the terrorists stormed the community at approximately 7:00 PM on Saturday, June 13, unleashing sporadic gunfire that echoed through the area. The heavily armed men deliberately targeted infrastructure, setting ablaze both the Kautikari Primary School and the Government Day Secondary School.
The sudden onslaught forced hundreds of terrified residents to abandon their homes, scampering into the nearby bushes under the cover of darkness for safety.
A security operative who hails from Kautikari but is currently stationed in Maiduguri confirmed the devastating event, noting that the smoke from the academic institutions could be seen from miles away.
”Yes, I can confirm to you that our village, Kautikari, in Chibok Local Government Area, came under severe attack,” the source stated, requesting anonymity. “Our people are currently scampering for safety in the bush, even as we speak. Two critical schools—the primary school and the day secondary school—have been set completely on fire.”
As of the time of filing this report, official details regarding human casualties or the full extent of the property damage remain sparse, as residents remain displaced in surrounding thickets.
A Resurgence of Targeted Threats
Efforts by our correspondent to secure an official statement from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Keneth Daso, proved abortive, as calls and messages went unanswered at press time.
This latest incident comes amid a worrying strategic pivot by insurgent factions in the Lake Chad Basin. Security experts note that despite aggressive military campaigns under Operation Hadin Kai, splinter cells of Boko Haram and ISWAP have increasingly resorted to hit-and-run tactics on civilian soft targets and isolated communities close to the Sambisa Forest border.
Kautikari has historically borne the brunt of these border incursions, having suffered multiple fatal raids over the years involving arson, looting of food supplies, and civilian abductions. The deliberate burning of schools directly aligns with the ideological campaign against Western education that has defined the 17-year insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.
Government and Security Response
The fresh attack on Chibok territory underscores the persistent vulnerability of frontier communities despite assertions that the insurgency is in its terminal phase. Just hours prior, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reiterated the federal government’s firm stance against internal security threats, asserting that the administration would not capitulate to the demands of terrorists to release detained insurgent commanders.
With the Safe Schools Declaration under renewed strain following recent regional school threats, local community leaders are calling for a permanent military outpost in Kautikari to shield the battle-weary population from recurrent assaults.
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