Armed bandits launched a coordinated assault on a police station and church in Agwara early Sunday morning, authorities confirmed.
The attackers used dynamite to incinerate the police station after successfully overpowering a tactical team during a heavy firefight.
Following the station’s destruction, the militants moved to the United Methodist Church to set the sacred building ablaze.
Five civilians were abducted during the raid, marking another dark chapter for a district still reeling from mass kidnappings.
This violence underscores a persistent security crisis in Nigeria that continues to defy international efforts and local military interventions.
The Agwara region remains a focal point of grief following the abduction of 300 children just last November.
Despite high-level security summits with United States officials in Abuja, peace remains a fragile and distant hope for residents.
Meanwhile, Nigerian military forces reported a tactical victory in Borno state after killing a high-ranking Boko Haram commander.
The official identified the deceased leader as Abu Khalid, a senior figure operating within the dense Sambisa Forest strongholds.
While this raid reported no military casualties, recent ambushes by rival factions have claimed dozens of lives this week.
Over 40,000 people have perished during this decade-long insurgency, casting a long, somber shadow across Africa’s most populous nation.