BY: NEWS DESK, OCTOBER 14, 2026/ 07:19PM
Suspected Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, terrorists have reportedly seized more than 40 locally made fishing boats from fishermen in Tumbun Barebari, popularly known as Abujan Ruwa, in the Lake Chad region of Borno State.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when the armed men reportedly stormed the fishing area in large numbers and forcefully took the boats from their owners.
One of the victims, who lost his fishing boat during the incident, told Yerwa Express News that the attackers seized the boats but left the fishermen unharmed.
Another victim, according to Yerwa Express News, said the attackers were heading towards Tumbun Kanta, near Doron Baga, Cross Kauwa and Baga communities in Kukawa Local Government Area.
He called on the military to intensify aerial surveillance around the Kukawa axis and urged ground troops to remain on high alert to prevent any possible attack.
'There is a need for military fighter jets to conduct routine surveillance around the Kukawa axis, while ground troops should remain alert for any eventualities,' he told Yerwa Express News.
The development has left many of the affected fishermen in a precarious situation, as fishing remains their sole means of livelihood.
For most families in the Lake Chad communities, the locally made boats are not just tools for work but their only source of income to feed their households and sustain daily life, making the loss a severe blow to their survival.
The seizure comes amid renewed security concerns in the Lake Chad region following recent attempts by insurgents to attack military positions in Kukawa.
The incident has raised concerns among fishing communities in the Lake Chad region, where locally made boats are essential for fishing and movement across the waterways.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the seizure and the whereabouts of the boats were not immediately available.