Suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed a police inspector and seven civilians in a night raid on the Gaya community in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Monday, according to the council chairman, Dr Aliyu Saad.
The attack, which involved setting houses ablaze, targeted two homes in the community. Dr Saad confirmed the casualties in a telephone interview on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, as reported by The Punch.
Attack Details and Casualty Figures
Dr Saad stated: "The attackers came on the night of Monday and launched a bloody attack on two houses, burnt the houses and killed one police officer and seven civilians during the attack."
However, the state police spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, gave a lower initial figure. He said five bodies were recovered after the attackers left—four civilians and one police inspector. "We are still waiting for an update. Troops have been deployed with all the security agencies, including vigilante and hunters, to hunt for the attackers," Nguroje added, promising further briefings as new information emerged.
The discrepancy between the two accounts suggests the full death toll may still be under assessment as security forces comb the area.
Security Response and Recurring Attacks
Security agencies, including troops, hunters, and vigilantes, have been deployed to track down the attackers. This incident marks the eighth time Hong LGA has come under insurgent attack in 2026 alone, raising serious concerns about the security situation in the area.
A proposed military barracks that would have been built in Garaha, close to a known Boko Haram entry route into the Sambisa Forest, has not yet been established. Security experts and community leaders have long argued that a permanent military presence in the corridor could significantly reduce the frequency of such attacks on communities like Hong.
Context and Related Incidents
Hong LGA is notably the home town of two former Secretaries to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal and Mr Boss Mustapha.
In a related incident, suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists stopped a commercial vehicle near Kareto village and forced a pastor's wife and her three children off the bus. The family, targeted because of their religious identity, were travelling to Damasak, where Pastor Moses Guguma leads a COCIN Church. The abducted woman had been discharged from a Maiduguri hospital only days before the attack and was still recovering.
Separately, suspected Boko Haram insurgents stormed two military locations in Maiduguri, Borno State, between 12:20am and 2:30am on Friday, July 10, 2026. The Nigerian military confirmed all infiltration attempts were successfully repelled across multiple axes in the north-east state. Three civilians died from stray bullets during the crossfire with the terrorists, including a three-week-old bride shot in the head.
