Boko Haram Strikes ..... Again: Has Nigeria Grown Complacent in the Face of Terror?

The village of Mafa, in Yobe State, once again found itself the target of a brutal Boko Haram attack. On September 1, 2024, fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) descended on the village, killing more than 170 people, according to local reports. Despite previous threats, government assurances led villagers to return to their homes. In the aftermath of the attack, questions have arisen about whether Nigerians and their leaders have become desensitized to these tragic events.

Mafa, like many communities in north-eastern Nigeria, has long been a battleground in the fight against Boko Haram and its splinter groups. In late July, after receiving threats from ISWAP, the village was evacuated. Residents fled to nearby Babban Gida, hoping to escape the violence that has plagued the region for over a decade. However, after receiving reassurances from local officials that the area was safe, most of Mafa's residents returned—only to be met with devastating consequences​

On that fateful Sunday evening, more than 150 fighters on motorcycles stormed the village during prayer, opening fire indiscriminately on worshippers and residents alike. The militants left a trail of destruction in their wake, burning homes and laying explosives to prevent military reinforcements from arriving​ . Eyewitnesses reported that ISWAP had left a note accusing the villagers of collaborating with Nigerian security forces, a possible motivation for the attack​.

Despite the severity of the attack, the Nigerian government's response has been notably muted. Official death tolls, which often conflict with local accounts, downplayed the scale of the massacre, with the government initially claiming that only 34 people were killed. The lack of a strong public response has only fuelled the perception that the Nigerian authorities are out of touch with the realities faced by citizens in the northeast.

This is not the first time the government has failed to address the ongoing security crisis head-on. President Bola Tinubu, who came into office in 2023 on promises to end the insurgency, has yet to offer a comprehensive strategy for dealing with Boko Haram and ISWAP​. Local leaders and security analysts have criticized Tinubu’s administration for its reactive approach to security, which leaves communities vulnerable and erodes public trust​.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Mafa attack is how it fits into a larger pattern of violence that has seemingly become normalized in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced millions​. Yet, with each new attack, the national conversation seems to drift further from the urgency of the situation. Have Nigerians grown complacent, or worse, desensitized to these acts of terror?

In regions like Yobe and Borno states, where Boko Haram is most active, attacks have become a grim part of daily life. Communities like Mafa have seen their populations dwindle, their economies collapse, and their hopes for peace fade​. Even as death tolls rise, the response from the broader Nigerian public often falls short of the outrage such atrocities should provoke.

This desensitization is dangerous. It allows insurgents to operate with relative impunity, knowing that their actions will be met with little more than fleeting concern from the greater public and half-hearted responses from the government. Boko Haram and ISWAP are thriving in this atmosphere of neglect, using fear and violence to assert control over large swathes of the north-east​.

Mafa’s attack underscores the pressing need for a more proactive and holistic approach to Nigeria’s security challenges. Military action alone cannot solve this problem. A combination of political action, economic development, and community engagement is necessary to combat the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment​.

For Mafa, the foremost concern is survival. Many of its residents have fled once again, and dear not return, despite promises of increased military presence​. The village, now a shell of its former self, stands as a symbol of the ongoing devastation wrought by Boko Haram and ISWAP.

For Nigeria as a whole, the attack should serve as a wake-up call. The country cannot afford to become complacent in the face of terror. Boko Haram's insurgency may have been going on for more than a decade, but each attack is a fresh tragedy for the communities affected. A stronger, more unified response is obligatory, not just from the government but from all Nigerians. The Mafa attack cannot become just another statistic in a long line of forgotten massacres.

Until the Nigerian government and its people take more decisive action, communities like Mafa will continue to bear the brunt of the nation’s security failures. How far south most terror creep before real change comes?