A unique and devastating consequence of Nigeria's long-running conflict is unfolding on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, where hundreds of elephants displaced from their original habitat by Boko Haram insurgents are clashing with local communities, destroying homes and farms.
The elephants, historically native to the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, were forced out after the terrorist group commandeered the forest as a major operational base. Now roaming freely in search of food and safety, the herds—estimated to number over 300—move between the towns of Gamboru in Nigeria and Fotokol in Cameroon, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
A "Disaster" for Farmers and Residents
The conflict came to a head on Thursday, December 4, 2025, when a massive herd invaded Gamboru around 2 p.m. Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic and devastation. "They caused a lot of damage, destroying our guinea corn farms and houses, especially those built with clay," said resident Baba-Kaka Kyari. Farmers already struggling with a poor harvest season watched as the animals "destroyed more than 10 kilometres of farmland," according to farmer Ba Mallum Ngala.
Fearing for their lives, residents mobilized en masse. "When we first heard that elephants had entered the town, everyone around the riverbank ran out of their homes," recounted Khadijat Abba. The community confronted the herd, using noise and numbers to chase the animals back across the border into Cameroon to prevent them from entering the main town—a tactic born of tragic necessity. "We had to take that measure because the last time they came, some people were killed," Kyari explained.
A Complex Crisis with No Easy Solution
The Borno State Government acknowledges ownership of the displaced wildlife. Ali Abatcha, General Manager of the Sanda Kyarimi Park, confirmed the elephants are state property displaced by the insurgency and that an emergency meeting has been convened to activate the state's "elephant control unit."
The goal, Abatcha stated, is to mobilize personnel to control the herds and, when possible, capture baby elephants to bring to a zoo in Maiduguri. However, he admitted that accurate population data is impossible to obtain due to the persistent insecurity that has halted proper wildlife enumeration and conservation efforts for over a decade.
This situation highlights a profound, indirect impact of the insurgency: the destruction of natural ecosystems and the creation of a volatile human-wildlife conflict. As elephants and people compete for space and safety in a region shattered by violence, coordinated cross-border conservation and management efforts are urgently needed to protect both vulnerable communities and displaced wildlife.
*Source: Punch Newspapers*
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