By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Thousands of residents of Kirawa, a border town in Borno State, have fled to neighbouring Cameroon following a deadly Boko Haram attack that forced Nigerian troops to withdraw.
Fearing further assaults, many now cross into Nigeria during the day but return to Cameroon at night to sleep in safety.
The weekend attack reportedly left several soldiers dead and a schoolgirl abducted.
Displaced residents are sheltering in classrooms, mosques, and on the streets of Kerawa, Cameroon, with no formal aid.
“We return to Nigeria during the day and flee to Cameroon at night,” said District Head Abdulrahman Abubakar, urging urgent troop deployment and resettlement.
Locals described dire conditions, with people sleeping under heavy rain and lacking basic shelter.
“Eighty to ninety percent of Kirawa’s population has crossed into Cameroon,” said resident Atahiru Lawan.
The Borno State government has acknowledged the crisis, with Special Adviser on Security, Gen. Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.), assuring that steps are being taken to address it.
Tensions rose after the Nigerian military denied its troops were the target, saying the attack happened at a Cameroonian base.
Kirawa leaders rejected this, insisting there has been no Nigerian military presence in the area for some time.
“The military should not pretend they had a base here,” said Yakubu Mabba, chairman of the Kirawa Development Association.
Witnesses described hours of gunfire, the abduction of a student, the burning of the district head’s home, and the looting of shops.
Residents continue to appeal for urgent intervention, warning that the insurgents could return at any time.
