Boko Haram Launches New Offensive to Reclaim Gwoza, Targeting Christian Refugee Camps

A coordinated assault on Pulka shows Boko Haram and ISWAP pushing to re‑establish control in southeastern Borno, with Christian displaced families reporting renewed “convert or face attack” threats.

By Suleman Ayuba

(Gwoza, Borno State) — A desperate push by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram insurgents to re-establish their self-declared “Islamic Caliphate” in Borno State reached a boiling point on Monday, September 7, 2026. A fierce attack targeted military locations and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Pulka, within the Gwoza Local Government Area Borno State.

The ongoing onslaught underscores an escalating campaign of systematic targeting directed at Christian survivors who have taken refuge in guarded displaced persons’ enclaves.

Ghosts of the 2014 Caliphate Declaration

The historical shadow hanging over Gwoza is long, bloody, and deeply personal for its inhabitants. In August 2014, late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau captured Gwoza town and declared it the global headquarters of his Islamic Caliphate. During that terrifying occupation, hundreds of churches were burned to ashes, Christian neighborhoods were systematically leveled, and thousands of civilians were executed for refusing to abandon their faith.

The trauma resurfaced violently in recent memory through the devastating Ngoshe massacre. Christian refugees returning from displacement camps in neighboring Cameroon were lured by promises of safe resettlement, only to be ambushed and slaughtered by insurgents lurking in the nearby Mandara Mountains. 

 For years, the terror group’s ultimatum to the region’s indigenous Christian population has remained unyielding: Despite the threat of  convert to Islam or face ruthless, continuous attacks according to  Boko Haram.

Terror At the IDP Gates: Eyewitness Accounts

The September 7 assault on Pulka was designed to shatter military defenses and overrun the adjacent IDP camps holding thousands of vulnerable Christians.

A displaced Christian resident who survived the horror, confirmed the assault on the military formation and the terror that gripped the camp: “We cannot go to the farm anymore due to fear, but even at the camp, we are not safe,” said Haruna Zachariah. “The attack last night was a proof of what Boko Haram told us: convert to Islam or face attacks. Those who have accepted to be under the Islamic caliphate rule by Boko Haram have returned to farm and living.”

In a separate interview with TruthNigeria, local resident Saratu Musa detailed the confusion and terror during the night raid. She confirmed that heavy gunfire echoed through the night as insurgents attempted to breach defensive perimeters, wounding soldiers. “Everyone is in total fear—we don’t even know the total number of civilian casualties because everywhere is in fear,” Musa said. “We are living like condemned people. Where else do they want us to run to when even the sanctuary of an IDP camp offers no protection from their slaughter?”

Military Resistance and Operational Summary

Providing the official defense record of the engagement, Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer for Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, confirmed from Maiduguri that troops firmly held their ground during the nighttime assault.

According to military authorities, troops, heavily supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), successfully contained the aggressive ISWAP attack on Pulka. Ground forces responded with sustained firepower, denying the insurgents entry into critical positions. Air support provided crucial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) coverage, allowing precision strikes on fleeing hostile elements as they attempted to withdraw.

The military confirmed that one soldier sustained a gunshot injury during the encounter, was evacuated, and remains in stable condition. Troops immediately launched follow-up exploitation operations across the area to track fleeing terrorists, recover abandoned weapons, and secure surrounding communities, according to Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer.

The harassment of Christian returnees, coupled with repeated attempts to breach safe camps, highlights a calculated strategy by Boko Haram to strip indigenous non-Muslims of their land and livelihoods. As insurgents press forward with their “convert or face attack” doctrine, We will continue to cry out for sustained international attention and permanent military defense to prevent Gwoza from falling back entirely into the hands of the Islamic Caliphate, said Gavvs Katiya, Former Director of National Directory Employment and Current Director of Gwoza Refugees Resettlement Initiative.

Suleman Ayuba is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.

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