Senator Ali Ndume has warned that Nigerian troops in Borno State are being overwhelmed by insurgents due to a critical lack of ammunition, leading to the temporary loss of communities like Ngoshe and Pulka.
Former Senate Leader and representative of Borno South, Ali Ndume, has raised a fresh alarm regarding the operational capacity of Nigerian troops, asserting that a severe shortage of ammunition is hampering the fight against insurgency. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the lawmaker revealed that soldiers were recently forced to withdraw from the Ngoshe and Pulka communities in Gwoza Local Government Area after being overwhelmed by Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters. Ndume cautioned that without an urgent doubling of efforts to provide sophisticated arms, the Federal Government risks losing significant territories across the North-East.
The Senator, who recently visited the affected areas alongside Governor Babagana Zulum, described the scale of the attacks as catastrophic, noting that the insurgents have adopted increasingly bold tactics. While the Nigerian Army eventually deployed reinforcements to reclaim the seized areas, Ndume emphasized that the initial retreat was a direct consequence of soldiers being outgunned. He highlighted that the destruction in Ngoshe was “total,” leaving the community reduced to rubble with almost no infrastructure remaining. The lawmaker is now expected to lead a motion in the National Assembly to push for the immediate frontloading of military budgets to fast-track procurement.
In his appeal for a more decisive federal intervention, Ndume urged the government to move beyond rhetoric and ensure that frontline troops are properly motivated and equipped. “I am calling on the federal government to double its efforts in equipping the Army with sophisticated arms and ammunition,” Ndume said. “I gathered that our soldiers lacked adequate ammunition and had to withdraw from Ngoshe and Pulka because they were overwhelmed. It was only after reinforcements arrived that they reclaimed the areas. Nothing was left standing in both communities by the attackers. I have seen Ngoshe, and it is beyond description. The destruction is total—reduced to ground zero, with nothing left except a small mosque.”
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