Gamboru

Gamboru (or Gamburu) is a market town in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, near the Cameroon border.[1][2] It is the administrative centre of Ngala local government area.

A 2013 IRIN report indicated that pharmacies in Gamboru Ngala were subject to attack by Islamist insurgents Boko Haram, and that the prices of medicines had "gone up by at least a third" as a result.[3]

The Boko Haram attack on Gamboru on May 5–6, 2014, and its twin town of Ngala killed at least 300 people.[4] Some residents reported that they planned to move to Cameroon in the wake of the attacks,[5] and a Nigerian Army source indicated that corruption was hampering efforts to defend local residents.[6][7]

On May 9, 2014, it was reported that the bridge linking Gamboru to the rest of Nigeria, and also linking "the immigration checkpoints of both Cameroon and Nigeria," had been destroyed.[8][9] On May 11 it was reported that Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima had visited the town to view the destruction and offer condolences, and "promised to rebuild the Gamboru Ngala central market."[10] Local government chairman Bakura Mustapha indicated that over 200 vehicles, and "hundreds of shops and houses" had been burned.[10]

On 2 February 2015, the Nigerian Army said it had recaptured Gamboru from Boko Haram, along with the nearby towns of Mafa, Mallam Fatori, Abadam, and Marte, following joint military operations by Nigerian and Cameroonian forces, civilian forces, and three days of Chadian airstrikes.[11]

On 6 January 2020, a bomb at the marketplace on the bridge to Fotokol killed at least 30 people.[12][13]

  1. ^ "Islamist attack kills 125 in northeast Nigeria". The Irish Times. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Death toll from Islamist attack on Nigerian market town hits 125". Reuters. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Violence grinds healthcare to a halt in Nigeria's Borno State". IRIN Africa. 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  4. ^ "Boko Haram Attack Kills Hundreds In Border Town". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. ^ "EXPOSED: What Gamboru Residents Plan On Doing Over Repeated Boko Haram Attacks(READ)". OSUN DEFENDER. 2014-05-12. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  6. ^ Ahmed, Ibrahim (2014-05-30). "VOA EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Officer Says Corruption Hampers Fight Against Boko Haram". Voice of America. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  7. ^ "The Nigerian soldiers told not to repel militants in Gamboru attack". About Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  8. ^ Michel Olugbode (2014-05-09). "Nigeria: Insurgents Blow Up Bridge Between Nigeria and Cameroun". This Day - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  9. ^ Kayode Idowu (2014-05-09). "30 killed as B'Haram bombs Nigeria-Cameroon bridge". Punch. Archived from the original on 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  10. ^ a b Maina Maina (2014-05-11). "Boko Haram: Shettima condoles Gamboru people, promises to rebuild burnt market". DailyPost Nigeria. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  11. ^ "Nigeria claims Gamboru, four towns recaptured from Boko Haram". AFP - Yahoo News. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  12. ^ "Nigeria hit by deadly bomb attack near Cameroon". Deutsche Welle. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  13. ^ Thomson Reuters (6 January 2020). "30 killed in northeast Nigeria bomb blast on crowded bridge". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved 10 January 2019. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)