Members of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) have reportedly conducted an attack on a military base in Ngamdu, located within Borno State along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway in the Kaga local government area killing numerous soldiers.
The Islamic State – West Africa Province, officially referred to as Wilāyat Garb Ifrīqīyā, translates to 'Province of West Africa.' ISWAP is a militant group and an administrative division of the Islamic State, which is recognized as a Salafi jihadist militant organization and an unacknowledged quasi-state.
An eyewitness whose identity remains anonymous narrated to Gradual Television that ISWAP militants launched their attack on the Ngamdu military super camp around 2:00 AM on October 10, 2025, while opening fire on the soldiers who were on night duty.
He further confirmed that the military has subsequently blocked the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, which has left numerous passengers and motorists stranded while mobilizing the military ambulances to transport several injured and deceased soldiers to the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu.
ISWAP's roots can be traced to the emergence of Boko Haram, a Salafi jihadist movement that originated in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. This movement initiated an insurgency against the Nigerian government following a failed uprising in 2009, to establish a neighboring state in northern Nigeria and neighboring regions including Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
Abubakar Shekau, the self-proclaimed leader of Boko Haram, sought to enhance his international standing among Islamist groups by allying with the prominent Islamic State (IS) in March 2015. Consequently, Boko Haram was rebranded as the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP).