Boko Haram

Force in Play

Suspected perpetrator of the Marte attack

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen ambushed villagers collecting firewood in Marte, a rural area in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, on October 1. Initial reports put the death toll at 18; it rose to 28 over the following days as search teams found more bodies in the bush.

Updated Oct 21

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Weakened but active insurgent group

On Christmas night 2025, American warplanes struck ISIS-linked camps in northwest Nigeria, killing militants in the first direct U.S. combat action there. President Tinubu approved the operation after months of Trump pressure, targeting Lakurawa/ISSP elements in Sokoto State, but Jabo residents reported civilian panic from a missile hitting farmland. By mid-February 2026, U.S. Africa Command deployed around 200 military personnel, with the initial 100 troops arriving February 17 at Bauchi Airfield to train and support Nigerian counterterrorism forces.

Updated May 16