By Tom Garba
The remnants of Boko Haram and fighters operating under the banner of ISWAP have found parts of Adamawa State, particularly Hong Local Government Area, as a new theatre for survival and expansion.
Communities under the Hoba (Kilba) Chiefdom, including Garaha, Dabna, Bangna/Banga, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde and Gaya-Dlang, as well as parts of Gombi Local Government Area such as Garkida, are increasingly coming under attacks. What is unfolding is no longer simply a Boko Haram insurgency but a complex security threat involving insurgents, bandits and kidnappers.
My findings indicate a dangerous convergence between Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters operating around the Sambisa Forest corridor and the Mandara Mountains and armed bandits and kidnappers who have allegedly turned deserted communities into logistics bases.
The repeated attacks have become an unbearable burden on the people of Hoba land. Hundreds of households have been forced to abandon their homes and communities following attacks by insurgents. The concerns raised by Tol Alheri Bulus and other Kilba stakeholders are therefore not political, but a reflection of what they describe as an existential threat.
Hong shares a direct border with Borno State, particularly Askira-Uba Local Government Area, which provides access to the Sambisa axis. This geography has made the area a strategic route into and out of several communities in Hong, with residents raising concerns over unmonitored movement through the border routes.
Dabna, for instance, has suffered repeated attacks. During one of the incidents, three people were reportedly killed while houses and shops were burnt and food items looted. The attackers reportedly arrived on motorcycles around 2am and opened fire indiscriminately.
Garaha, the Hoba community associated with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, is also home to a military formation of the 232 Battalion. The base was reportedly attacked twice, with the latest incident occurring on the eve of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Three soldiers and a Forest Guard were reportedly killed, while 10 soldiers were injured and two women abducted. The attackers allegedly burnt the military camp, looted weapons and an armoured vehicle, leaving only the Living Faith Church building standing.
The Chairman of Hong Local Government Area, Dr Aliyu Yerima Sa’ad Hong, had reportedly confirmed that some of the casualties were receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Hong.
Mubang and Zah, both in Garaha District, have also witnessed repeated attacks. According to the account, the communities came under attack three times within six days, leaving 14 people dead, several others displaced and homes destroyed. The raids reportedly occurred about eight kilometres from Garaha.
Gaya-Dlang, Bitirhuya and Banga have equally recorded attacks. Between August and September 2026, a police inspector and seven civilians were reportedly killed while four girls were abducted in Gaya-Dlang. Four people were also reportedly killed and houses destroyed in Bitirhuya.
The reported pattern of attacks is similar: midnight raids, with two or three armed men riding on each motorcycle, followed by attacks from rear axes intended to overwhelm security personnel. Food and weapons are looted before houses, markets, schools and, in some cases, security formations are set ablaze. Kidnapping for ransom has also become part of the criminal economy.
There appears to be a connection between insurgents, bandits and kidnappers, although the nature and extent of such links require further investigation. Similar patterns of insecurity have been reported in parts of Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna states.
The criminal economy is also sustained by the seizure of food supplies and ransom payments. Grains reportedly looted from communities such as Dabna and Bangna are sold in markets in Borno and, allegedly, across the border into Cameroon, while ransom payments provide resources for the acquisition of arms.
One major challenge is the predominantly static nature of security deployments. The military maintains a base in Garaha, but the account suggests that the formation is undermanned and vulnerable to attacks from multiple directions. Weak intelligence gathering has also been identified as a factor in some successful attacks.
Residents have reportedly alerted authorities about suspicious movements before some attacks, yet air support was said to have arrived only after incidents had occurred. A recent air interdiction reportedly carried out around 5:30am in Boima, which killed 16 terrorists, demonstrates the potential effectiveness of air power when properly deployed. The challenge, however, is ensuring that such operations are supported by reliable intelligence and sustained ground presence.
Another challenge is the absence of a holding force after military operations. When troops repel attackers, communities such as Zah and Mubang may remain without adequate protection. The deployment of properly trained and supervised civilian security structures, including Forest Guards and Agro-Rangers, could help secure reclaimed communities.
The consequence is a growing loss of confidence among residents. Like other communities affected by terrorism and kidnapping across Northern Nigeria, residents of Hong are increasingly asking whether their communities are receiving adequate protection from the Nigerian state.
The crisis in Adamawa cannot be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a wider insecurity challenge affecting states including Zamfara, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna and Katsina, while other states across the North continue to experience varying forms of security threats.
The government therefore needs an integrated response involving federal, state and local authorities.
First, there is a need for a Hong-Gombi-Askira-Uba joint security corridor, supported by a coordinated command structure for the Adamawa-Borno border area and a permanent forward operating base in Garaha, with appropriate aerial surveillance.
Second, community-based intelligence gathering should be strengthened. Local residents, Forest Guards and legitimate community security groups possess valuable knowledge of the difficult terrain and routes linking the Sambisa and Mandara areas. Such structures should operate within the law and under proper security supervision.
Third, government should develop a village reclamation programme to prevent abandoned communities from becoming bases for criminal groups. Safe-return programmes should include the reconstruction of schools and health facilities, agricultural support and sustained security presence during the transition.
The ransom economy must also be addressed through effective enforcement of existing laws, while victims and families affected by kidnapping should receive structured support. Intelligence-led operations should target the financial networks sustaining kidnapping and arms acquisition.
Technology should equally play a greater role. Satellite imagery, drones and other surveillance systems could help monitor vulnerable corridors and detect unusual movements, particularly along routes used by armed groups.
There is also an urgent humanitarian dimension. Displaced residents in Hong, Gombi and Yola require food, psychological support and adequate protection to enable them return to farming. If farmers in communities such as Dabna and Garaha cannot safely cultivate their land, the consequences could extend beyond security to food production and livelihoods.
The reported attack on a military formation in Garaha, in which soldiers were killed and others injured, should prompt a comprehensive review of security arrangements in the area. If a military installation can come under sustained attack, vulnerable civilian communities require even stronger protection.
Tol Alheri Bulus and other voices from the Hoba Chiefdom are therefore raising concerns that go beyond Hong. Their warnings reflect the broader challenge of preventing the spread and entrenchment of violent criminal networks across Northern Nigeria.
Without a coordinated security strategy that combines military operations, intelligence gathering, community protection, humanitarian intervention and economic measures, vulnerable communities risk remaining trapped in a cycle of attacks, displacement and ransom payments.
The Federal, state and local governments must therefore intensify efforts to protect Hong and other communities along the Adamawa-Borno border before the security situation deteriorates further.
Tom Garba is a conflict, crisis, policy and political analyst. He lives and writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State.
