DarulL Jamal: At least 60 people were killed late Friday night when Boko Haram militants stormed Darul Jamal, a recently resettled village in Bama local government area of Borno State. Survivors and officials described the attack as one of the deadliest in recent years, shattering the fragile hope of families who had only recently returned home after years in displacement camps.

The attackers, believed to belong to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram, arrived around 8:30 p.m. on motorbikes. Witnesses said they went house to house, shooting residents, setting buildings ablaze, and destroying vehicles. By Saturday morning, local leaders reported recovering between 63 and 70 bodies, though dozens remained missing in the surrounding bush.

According to residents, the militants targeted households suspected of cooperating with security forces or rival fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). A security analyst noted that the JAS faction often punishes communities it believes are collaborating with its adversaries.

The military suffered casualties as well, with reports indicating that at least seven soldiers were killed when they attempted to repel the assault. Local villagers said they had warned the army about suspicious militant activity days earlier but received no reinforcements. The small detachment of soldiers present in the village was overwhelmed, retreating alongside residents toward Bama town.

Governor Babagana Zulum visited the village on Saturday, confirming the scale of the attack and promising swift humanitarian assistance. He urged survivors not to abandon their homes despite the trauma, pledging increased military presence and immediate delivery of food and shelter materials. Local government chairman Modu Gujja reported that more than a dozen houses and 10 buses were destroyed, displacing over 100 residents.

Darul Jamal had been reopened for resettlement only a few months ago, as part of the government’s program to return displaced families to their ancestral communities. The massacre has now raised fresh questions about the safety of returnees and the adequacy of protection provided to such vulnerable villages.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across northeastern Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. While the ISWAP faction typically focuses on military and government targets, the JAS faction continues to terrorize civilians, particularly in communities considered loyal to rival forces.

For the families of Darul Jamal, the latest attack has turned a fragile homecoming into yet another chapter of loss and displacement. Local leaders and aid agencies are now calling for urgent reinforcement of security and humanitarian support to prevent further tragedy.