Heavily armed Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have released a brazen show of force in Borno State, appearing in propaganda footage observing Eid prayers with assault rifles just days after a series of deadly bombings killed at least 26 people in Maiduguri.
In a chilling display of operational strength, hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters were captured in newly released propaganda footage observing Eid-el-Fitr prayers in open fields across Borno State on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The multimedia clips, disseminated via the insurgent-linked platform AZ-ZALLAQA, show the terrorists lined up in tight formation, clutching AK-47 rifles and high-grade weaponry while performing communal worship. This brazen public gathering in the heart of the Northeast underscores the persistent security vacuum in the region, directly challenging repeated military assertions that the groups have been “technically defeated.”
The timing of the footage is particularly devastating for residents of Maiduguri, who are still mourning the victims of a coordinated bombing campaign that struck the state capital on the evening of March 16. During the height of the Ramadan fast-breaking period, multiple explosions tore through high-traffic civilian areas, including the Monday Market, the central post office, and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Reports indicate that at least 26 people were killed and over 100 others injured in the blasts, which local emergency responders described as one of the deadliest coordinated strikes on the city in recent years.
Security analysts and local residents have expressed profound outrage over the insurgents’ ability to gather in such large, armed numbers without immediate military interception. The footage shows the fighters occupying established prayer grounds, signaling a high level of territorial control in certain forest belts and rural corridors. As hospitals in Maiduguri remain overwhelmed with the wounded from the March 16 attacks, this latest “show of force” serves as a grim reminder of the terror groups’ resilience and their continued ability to conduct psychological warfare against the Nigerian state and its civilian population.
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