Five soldiers killed as suicide bomber targets military checkpoint in Borno

At least five soldiers were killed on Sunday morning after an explosive device was detonated at a military checkpoint in Pulka town, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, residents and security sources have confirmed.

According to local accounts, the attack occurred shortly after security operatives reopened the road for public movement. The attacker reportedly blended in with early-morning passersby before triggering the explosion near the checkpoint.

Security sources described the assailant as a suspected member of the Islamic State–West African Province (ISWAP), believed to have been hiding in the Mandara Mountains, a rugged area straddling Nigeria’s border with Cameroon that has long served as a hideout for insurgents.

A source familiar with the incident said the attacker had likely monitored the checkpoint for hours before carrying out the assault. “Some people disclosed that he spent the night close to the military post, planning the attack. When movement resumed in the morning, he disguised himself as a civilian and carried out the bombing. Five soldiers were killed on the spot,” the source said.

Residents described the incident as a major security setback for Pulka, a town that has witnessed relative calm in recent months. One resident noted that suicide attacks have been rare in the area over the past year, stressing the need for a review of security strategies to prevent a repeat.

“For more than a year, we have not experienced this kind of incident here. This development calls for a new approach by security operatives to stop further attacks,” the resident said.

The attack has rekindled painful memories of previous suicide bombings in Gwoza and other parts of Borno State, which has remained at the centre of Nigeria’s long-running insurgency.

On June 30, 2024, two female bombers carried out an attack during a wedding ceremony in Gwoza town, killing at least 18 people, including children and a pregnant woman. In a similar incident on June 21, 2025, no fewer than 11 civilians lost their lives when an explosive device was detonated at a viewing centre in Konduga Local Government Area.

As of the time of filing this report, military authorities had yet to issue an official statement on Sunday’s incident, but security patrols were said to have been reinforced in and around Pulka following the attack.