Amid growing concerns over insecurity, residents of communities surrounding Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno State, have called for the immediate relocation of the military detention facility, citing repeated attacks and escalating risks to civilian lives.
Located in the Jere Local Government Area of the state capital, Giwa Barracks has long served as a military detention centre for suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
However, its presence within a densely populated residential zone has drawn increasing criticism, especially following a recent explosion that rocked the barracks’ armory — the latest in a series of troubling security incidents.
Speaking at a press briefing in Maiduguri, community leaders described the barracks as a persistent target for terrorist attacks, placing more than one million residents in daily danger.
Chairman of the Galtimari Consultative Forum, Zannah Boguma, underscored the community’s anxiety, pointing to a history of violent attempts by insurgents to storm the facility and free detainees.
“Giwa Barracks has repeatedly come under attack — in 2014, three separate times in 2015, and again in 2019 — all aimed at liberating Boko Haram fighters held there,” Boguma said. “The recent explosion, though thankfully without loss of life, highlights the ever-present threat to civilians.”
While the residents reaffirmed their support for a robust military presence in the state, they argued that critical military infrastructure, particularly those linked to detention and weapon storage, should not be embedded within civilian zones.
“We are not against the military,” Boguma emphasized. “We understand their importance in our fight against insurgency. But installations of such strategic sensitivity should not coexist with vulnerable residential communities. The security of civilians must be prioritized.”
The community leaders are now urging the Federal Government, the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and the Borno State Government to take decisive action. Their demand: relocate Giwa Barracks to a secure site on the outskirts of Maiduguri, or to any location better suited to housing a high-risk detention facility.
In similar conflicts globally, military bases housing high-value detainees or armories are typically situated far from population centers — a strategy designed to minimize collateral damage and reduce the risk of civilian casualties. Critics argue that Nigeria’s continued use of urban detention facilities defies global best practices.
As insecurity remains a pressing concern in Borno State, the residents’ plea underscores a wider debate about balancing military necessity with civilian safety, a dilemma that may require more strategic thinking as the fight against insurgency evolves.
