ISWAP Mass Abduction in Ngoshe, Borno

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants launched a coordinated assault on Ngoshe community in Gwoza LGA, Borno State, on 5 March 2026, abducting over 300 civilians including women and children. The attackers used improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic rifles before withdrawing into Sambisa Forest with their captives.

President Tinubu ordered urgent military rescue operations in response. The attack was part of a broader ISWAP offensive that targeted multiple Nigerian Army bases across Borno in early March, killing at least 14 soldiers and raising fresh concerns about the security situation in the northeast.