President Bola Tinubu has condemned the recent terrorist attack on Ngoshe community in Borno State, as the military confirmed that more than 50 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters were killed in retaliatory air strikes.
The strikes were carried out by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai following a coordinated assault by insurgents on Nigerian Army artillery positions in Ngoshe, located in Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) near the Cameroon border.
According to security sources, the militants launched the attack at about 7:30 pm on 3 March, attempting to overrun the military position in the border community, roughly 12 kilometres south of Pulka.
Troops reportedly responded by carrying out a tactical withdrawal under heavy fire to protect personnel and equipment while reinforcements were mobilised to defend Ngoshe and nearby communities.
Air support was later deployed after ground forces provided real-time intelligence on the movement of the attackers.
Military sources said the insurgents were observed moving in clusters along two separate escape routes when Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft conducted multiple precision strikes.
Battle damage assessments indicated that more than 50 fighters were killed during two strike runs as aircraft targeted the militants while they attempted to retreat into forested areas.
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Authorities, however, acknowledged that some casualties occurred during the aerial operation targeting the fleeing insurgents.
Reacting to the incident, Tinubu described the attack on Ngoshe as a cruel assault on civilians and security personnel.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president extended condolences to the families of those killed.
He urged residents of Borno State and Nigerians more broadly not to give in to fear despite continued terrorist threats.
Tinubu also commended the armed forces and other security agencies for their swift response to the attack, stressing that the military operation had killed several militants and forced others to retreat.
The president directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue people abducted during the assault and to strengthen the protection of vulnerable communities in the North-East.
He also charged the armed forces to step up the protection of civilians and prevent further attacks on military formations in the region.
Ngoshe has been repeatedly targeted by insurgents over the past decade.
The community, which experienced several attacks between 2013 and 2024, saw many residents flee to neighbouring Cameroon for more than a decade.