As insurgents strike military formations and communities on the eve of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, the Northern Senators Forum warns that the violence is no longer merely an Adamawa problem but a national security emergency, writes Aba O. Aba, Our Managing Editor.
The eve of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary should have been a moment of celebration, reflection and renewed hope. Instead, for hundreds of families in parts of Adamawa State, it became a night of terror, grief and desperate flight from ancestral homes.
Between the night of September 30 and October 1, 2026, coordinated insurgent attacks reportedly swept through communities and military positions across Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas, leaving behind death, destruction and displacement.
Three soldiers of the 232 Battalion in Garaha-Mojili reportedly paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. A forest guard and innocent civilians were also killed, while women and children were reportedly abducted. Places of worship were burnt, properties destroyed and hundreds of residents forced to flee for safety.
For communities that had hoped to mark Independence Day with their fellow Nigerians, the national celebration instead came against the haunting background of gunfire, fear and uncertainty.
The affected communities include Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku.
The scale and nature of the attacks have now triggered renewed calls for a stronger and more coordinated military response, with the Northern Senators Forum demanding urgent reinforcement of security forces along the Kopre-Sambisa corridor.
In a statement personally signed by its Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, representing Katsina Central Senatorial District, the Forum described the attacks as an assault not only on Adamawa State but on the entire Northern region and Nigeria.
The senators expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and condemned what they described as “cowardly acts” against communities and military formations.
Military formations under attack
Of particular concern to the lawmakers is the reported targeting of the 226 Battalion in Garkida and the 232 Battalion in Garaha.
The attacks have once again raised questions about the security situation along the Kopre-Sambisa corridor, an area that remains strategically important in the fight against insurgency.
The Northern Senators Forum is therefore calling on the Federal Government and Defence Headquarters to move beyond reactive measures and urgently strengthen the security architecture in the area.
The senators want additional security personnel and resources deployed to vulnerable locations, alongside what they described as a unified and proactive strategy capable of flushing insurgents out of their criminal enclaves.
For the lawmakers, allowing insurgents to repeatedly attack communities and military positions risks emboldening terrorists and creating a dangerous cycle in which rural communities are progressively emptied of their inhabitants.
A tragedy beyond the battlefield
The tragedy, however, goes far beyond the deaths recorded during the attacks.
Every displaced family represents a broken home. Every abducted woman or child leaves behind relatives living in fear and uncertainty. Every destroyed house represents years of savings, labour and memories wiped away in moments.
The burning of places of worship adds another painful dimension to the crisis, threatening not only lives and property but the social fabric of communities that have endured years of insecurity.
The senators said they were particularly pained by reports that hundreds of families had been forced to abandon their ancestral homes on the eve of the country’s Independence anniversary.
Their message was unequivocal: the people of Adamawa must not be left to face terrorism alone.
Relief needed for displaced families
While calling for stronger military action, the Northern Senators Forum also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and other humanitarian agencies to immediately intervene.
The senators called for relief materials, medical assistance and trauma support for victims and displaced persons.
Such intervention, they stressed, is necessary to prevent an already devastating security crisis from becoming a humanitarian catastrophe.
For families who have fled with little more than the clothes on their backs, the immediate needs are basic but urgent: food, shelter, medicine, security and the assurance that they have not been forgotten.
Communities must become part of the security response
The Forum also appealed to residents of Hong, Gombi and surrounding communities to remain vigilant and assist security agencies with actionable information.
This appeal reflects a growing recognition that military strength alone may not be sufficient to defeat insurgency in remote communities.
Residents, local leaders, hunters, forest guards and other community stakeholders often possess valuable information about movements through difficult terrain. Effective intelligence-sharing, when properly protected and acted upon, can help security agencies detect threats before they become deadly attacks.
But such cooperation must also come with confidence that informants and communities will receive adequate protection.
You will not be abandoned
Perhaps the most significant message from the Northern Senators Forum was its pledge of solidarity with the people of Adamawa.
The Forum declared that the people of the affected communities would not be abandoned to terrorists.
That assurance now carries enormous weight.
For residents who have watched security threats return repeatedly, what matters most is not simply condemnation after an attack, but sustained action before the next one.
The latest attacks have once again demonstrated the human cost of insecurity in Nigeria’s troubled North-East. They have also placed a renewed responsibility on the Federal Government to ensure that military formations are adequately supported, vulnerable communities are protected and displaced families receive meaningful assistance.
As Nigeria celebrates 66 years of independence, the painful experience of the people of Hong and Gombi offers a sobering reminder that independence means little to families who cannot sleep safely in their ancestral homes.
The loss of the three soldiers, the forest guard and innocent civilians must therefore not become another statistic in Nigeria’s long-running battle against insurgency.
For Adamawa’s grieving families, the demand is simple: security, justice, relief and the opportunity to return home without fear.
The Northern Senators Forum has called for urgent action. The greater question now is whether the Federal Government and security authorities will respond with the urgency the situation demands.
The senators ended their message with a prayer for the souls of those killed and for lasting peace in Hong, Gombi, Adamawa State and the entire Northern
