Residents of Kirchinga and Sheweri villages in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State fled their homes in panic on Monday, February 23, 2026, after Boko Haram terrorists launched a coordinated and brutal assault that overwhelmed local security forces and left parts of the communities in ruins.
Eyewitness accounts and community sources described the early-morning invasion as chaotic and devastating. Armed insurgents, reportedly operating in large numbers and heavily equipped, stormed Kirchinga—the hometown of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri—and neighboring Sheweri, setting homes, shops, and other structures ablaze while residents scrambled into nearby bushes for safety.
In Sheweri, villagers reported that the village remained engulfed in flames hours after the attackers withdrew, with several community members killed during the onslaught. “The terrorists came shooting indiscriminately,” one survivor told local contacts. “People were running everywhere—men, women, children. Many houses are gone, and we don’t even know how many are dead or missing yet.”
The attackers also targeted Kirchinga market, a key economic hub for the area, despite resistance from Nigerian military personnel stationed nearby. Sources said the terrorists engaged soldiers in a prolonged gun battle, allowing them to overrun parts of the market and loot goods before setting structures on fire. “There was smoke everywhere, constant gunshots, screams, and burning everywhere,” an eyewitness recounted. “It felt like the end of the world.”
The assault highlights the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram remnants and splinter factions in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, even as the group’s overall operational capacity has been significantly degraded since the height of the insurgency. Madagali LGA, located along the border with Borno State, remains one of the most vulnerable areas due to its proximity to Sambisa Forest and other known insurgent hideouts.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has not yet issued a formal public statement on the attack on his hometown, though state officials confirmed that security reinforcements were being mobilized to the affected communities. The Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) and local vigilante groups are assisting with evacuation and preliminary casualty assessments.
The incident has renewed calls from civil society and political leaders in the northeast for more robust military deployment, improved intelligence sharing, and better protection for vulnerable border communities. Residents of Kirchinga and Sheweri, many of whom are now displaced and sheltering in neighboring villages or internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, expressed frustration over recurring attacks despite years of counter-insurgency operations.
This latest violence comes amid broader regional insecurity challenges, including farmer-herder clashes, banditry in the northwest, and separatist tensions in the southeast. In the northeast, Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to carry out sporadic raids, ambushes, and abductions, targeting soft civilian locations even as large-scale territorial control has been largely rolled back.
Humanitarian organizations operating in Adamawa have been placed on alert, with concerns rising over potential food shortages, lack of shelter, and health risks for newly displaced families. As of Tuesday evening, no official casualty figures or confirmed death toll had been released by state or federal authorities, though community sources described the loss of life as “significant.”
The attack has drawn attention to the ongoing human cost of the 17-year insurgency, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced over two million people, and left vast areas of the northeast in need of sustained reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Further updates are expected as security forces regain control of the affected areas and conduct clearance operations.
