Battle of Buni Yadi

Last updated
Battle of Buni Yadi
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
DateMay 26, 2014
Location
Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Nigeria
Result Boko Haram victory
Belligerents
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Islamic State flag.svg Boko Haram
Casualties and losses

45 killed

  • 24 soldiers
  • 21 policemen
 Unknown
2 civilians killed

On May 26, 2014, militants from Boko Haram attacked the town of Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Nigeria, capturing it after a brief battle with Nigerian forces. The capture of the city occurred three months after the massacre in February, where over 59 people were killed at a high school in the city.

Contents

Background

Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a jihadist social and political movement in a failed rebellion in northeast Nigeria. [1] Throughout the following years, Abubakar Shekau unified militant Islamist groups in the region and continued to foment the rebellion against the Nigerian government, conducting terrorist attacks and bombings in cities and communities across the region. [2] Since the start of 2014, the group had carried out 40 attacks leaving 700 people dead. [3]

In February 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, torching all the buildings of the school and killing over 59 students. [4]

Battle

Before the attack, a large number of insurgents gathered outside the town in disguised Hiluxes, armed with IEDs and rocket launchers. One witness said that the militants had one armored vehicle and at least six pick-ups. [5] The jihadists said assured civilians that they were only there to attack the army, and did not attack civilians. [6] At approximately 8:00 UTC, the militants assaulted a military checkpoint, firing on the soldiers there. Then, they set fire to a local police station and killed police, including the Divisional Police Officer. The military base adjacent to the police station was attacked as well. [7] Several other government buildings along with the house of district chief Abba Hassan were also torched. The jihadists also fired on a primary school in the town, but it was empty. [7] The clashes ended at around 9:00 UTC. [8] [9]

An initial report showed that 31 Nigerian troops, including soldiers and police officers, were killed in the battle. [7] On May 27, the death toll was revised to say 24 soldiers and 21 policemen were killed in the battle. [10] Two civilians were killed as well. [11] No casualties were mentioned for Boko Haram.

Aftermath

It is not known for how long the militants stayed in Buni Yadi after overrunning it. In July 2014, a chemist and traditional ruler were kidnapped by Boko Haram from the town. [11] On August 22, two weeks after the fall of Gwoza, Boko Haram captured and retained control of Buni Yadi. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Andrew (2016-02-04). "Join us or die: the birth of Boko Haram". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  2. ↑ "Nigeria unrest: 'Boko Haram' gunmen kill 44 at mosque". BBC News. 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Nigeria: le groupe islamiste Boko Haram s'en prend aux militaires". RFI (in French). 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  4. ↑ Hemba, Joe. "Nigerian Islamists kill 59 pupils in boarding school attack". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  5. ↑ Agencies, News. "Deadly raid by Boko Haram on Nigeria base". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-10-08.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  6. ↑ "Boko Haram attaque les forces nigérianes, 31 morts | Zonebourse". www.zonebourse.com (in French). 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  7. 1 2 3 "Nouvelle attaque meurtrière de Boko Haram dans le nord-est du Nigeria" (in French). 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  8. ↑ "24 personnel feared killed as Boko Haram attacks military, police base", Nigerian Monitor, Wednesday, 28 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Soldiers, Police Killed In Boko ‘Revenge’ 4 Hours Terror In Yobe, Borno" Archived 2022-10-05 at the Wayback Machine , NewsRescue, Wednesday, 28 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Deux nouvelles attaques font 54 morts au Nigéria". La Presse (in Canadian French). 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  11. 1 2 3 Kankhwende, Kiri (August 22, 2014). "Boko Haram overruns Buni Yadi town". Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Retrieved October 7, 2025.

11°16′08″N11°59′49″E / 11.2689°N 11.9969°E / 11.2689; 11.9969


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