The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has urged the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters to launch an immediate, full-scale military offensive against insurgents operating in the Kopre-Sambisa corridor of Adamawa State.
​The call follows deadly insurgent assaults targeting the 226 Battalion in Garkida and the 232 Battalion in Garaha, which occurred on the eve of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The attacks left three soldiers from the 232 Battalion, a forest guard, and multiple civilians dead, while sparking widespread destruction and mass displacement across several rural communities.
​In an official statement released Sunday, October 4, 2026, in Abuja, the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), condemned the violent incursions in the strongest terms:
​”We are deeply pained by the reports of killings, abductions of women and children, burning of places of worship, destruction of properties, and the tragic displacement of hundreds of families who were forced to flee their ancestral homes,” Yar’Adua stated. “These attacks, which targeted the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha, are not only an assault on Adamawa State, but an assault on the North and on the Nigerian nation as a whole.”
​Reports from local security networks indicate that insurgents launched coordinated strikes against military outposts and surrounding settlements. Beyond the fatalities, the violence led to the displacement of hundreds of residents across more than a dozen affected villages, including; Garaha, Dabna, Bangna, Mubang, Zah, Bitirhuya, Kwapre, Mayo Ladde, Gaya-Dlang, Garkida, Boima and Guyaku.
​Displaced residents were forced to flee into nearby forests and neighboring local government areas as homes, markets, and places of worship were set ablaze.
​The NSF emphasised that the strategic proximity of the Kopre enclave to the Sambisa forest reserve makes it a crucial staging ground for Boko Haram and ISWAP splinter groups. To prevent further territorial encroachment, the forum called for a proactive, unified clearance strategy to permanently flush out criminal strongholds along the border corridor.
​In addition to direct military operations, the forum appealed to federal relief agencies—including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), to immediately dispatch emergency food supplies, medical aid, temporary shelter, and trauma support services to the displaced population.
​Assuring the affected population of legislative support, Senator Yar’Adua added: “The Northern Senators Forum stands in solidarity with the people of Adamawa State. By our collective efforts, you will not be abandoned to terrorists.”
​Military authorities at Defence Headquarters have yet to issue a formal casualty breakdown or detailed tactical briefing regarding the ongoing security measures in the Kopre-Sambisa axis.
