Tension has escalated across Borno State after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants publicly executed two Christian tribal leaders in Limbere, Abadam Local Government Area. The insurgents accused the victims of “collaborating with the apostate Nigerian government” by allegedly collecting taxes from local farmers and herders and forwarding the revenue to state authorities.
Eyewitnesses from the community reported that ISWAP fighters assembled a crowd before conducting a makeshift trial, after which they summarily executed the men. Their bodies were left on public display as a warning to residents. ISWAP reportedly threatened that anyone caught cooperating with the government or security agencies would meet the same fate.
The victims, whose identities are being withheld for security reasons, were known for their leadership roles around the Damasak area, close to the Niger Republic border. Their execution marks a significant blow to traditional authority figures still operating in ISWAP-dominated territories.
Governor Babagana Zulum has long raised concerns about ISWAP’s growing influence in rural Borno, warning that the terrorist group is increasingly functioning like a de facto government in the region. This latest execution appears to reinforce those fears.
Security analysts say ISWAP’s actions form part of a broader strategy to dismantle existing local power structures and cement control across the Lake Chad basin. As of press time, the Nigerian military has not issued an official statement, though counterinsurgency operations reportedly continue in the region.
