Exodus from Kirawa: The Impact of Boko Haram's Reign

More than 5,000 individuals have fled northeast Nigeria, seeking refuge in Cameroon after Boko Haram militants claimed the border town of Kirawa, according to residents and community leaders. The capture adds to a series of assaults by insurgents in Borno state, at the heart of a 16-year conflict.

The intensified attacks by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) this year have targeted civilians and military forces, with several army bases and communities in Borno overrun before military counterattacks reclaimed them. The recent assault forced district head Abdulrahman Abubakar to abandon his palace after it was set alight alongside a military barracks and numerous homes.

Boko Haram's assertion of responsibility for the attack was accompanied by a video showing their fighters burning the barracks under the night sky. Kirawa now stands empty, as residents fled to Cameroon or moved towards the state capital, Maiduguri. Calls for military reinforcements have heightened after the insurgents also took control of Banki, prompting a multinational military force to withdraw following prior attacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)