Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have carried out a deadly midnight raid on Kirchinga, a community in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State and the hometown of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, leaving two Forest Guards dead and one abducted.
The attack, which occurred between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, targeted operatives of the newly established Forest Guards. Residents said the gunmen stormed the village under the cover of darkness, opened fire on the guards and escaped before security forces could arrive.
Local sources identified the slain operatives as Njidda Maradi and Yuguda Abasaryu. Another Forest Guard was reportedly taken away by the attackers to an unknown location.
According to residents, frantic distress calls were made to security agencies as the attack unfolded, but help came too late. Witnesses alleged that the attackers had camped near a burial ground behind Maradi Primary School before launching the assault.
“They came around 1 a.m. We called the soldiers immediately, but before they arrived, two Forest Guards had already been killed and one taken away,” a resident told Standarddailypress.
Another community member claimed security operatives later explained that the difficult terrain delayed their response, allowing the attackers to escape without resistance.
One of the victims, Njidda Maradi, is said to have left behind two wives and eight children, further deepening the pain and trauma in the community.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, acknowledged that an attack occurred in Kirchinga. However, he stated that one person was killed and another injured.
This official account sharply contrasts with local reports, which insist that two Forest Guards were killed and one abducted, once again underscoring the persistent gap between official statements and the grim realities faced by communities in Nigeria’s conflict-ridden Northeast.
