Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents on Thursday set ablaze three trucks loaded with dried fish at Mile-Forty in Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State, in the latest attack on commercial supply routes in the North-East.
The incident occurred around 1 pm along the Maiduguri–Magumeri corridor, a known insurgent ambush stretch linking fishing communities around the Lake Chad basin to Maiduguri markets.
Eyewitnesses and drivers said the convoy was intercepted by armed fighters who forced occupants to flee into nearby bush before torching the vehicles and their cargo.
The destroyed vehicles were identified as two Peugeot J5 trucks and a converted bus, all conveying fish toward Maiduguri. No casualties were reported, but drivers and owners said they suffered heavy economic losses as the vehicles and goods were completely burnt.
One of the affected drivers lamented that he watched helplessly as his truck — his only source of livelihood — went up in flames, adding that many transporters have begun withdrawing from the route due to persistent attacks and inadequate security presence.
The Mile-Forty axis has repeatedly been flagged by motorists as a high-risk zone where insurgents mount roadblocks and target trade convoys. Recent weeks have seen similar attacks on livestock and food supply vehicles in northern Borno, disrupting movement of cattle, grains and fish into Maiduguri.
Security sources say insurgent groups increasingly target commercial transport to weaken rural economies, assert control over local trade routes and deter cooperation with government authorities.
As of press time, neither the military nor the Borno State Government had issued an official statement on the attack, though the modus operandi and location are consistent with Boko Haram/ISWAP activity in the Magumeri–Guzamala belt.
The latest incident underscores persistent insecurity along key agricultural and fishing supply corridors in Borno, despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the state.
Abuja Network News
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