ISWAP Blockades Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway, Protests Military Airstrikes

Akahi News learnt that ISWAP terrorists blocked the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway today. But here is the twist that has left Nigerians speechless: they are protesting. Yes, you read that right. Terrorists are protesting that the government is attacking them.

The same group that has slaughtered thousands of innocent civilians, abducted schoolchildren, and turned communities into ghost towns is now complaining about military airstrikes. The same terrorists who have made life unbearable for millions in the North-East are now the ones feeling aggrieved.

What kind of country is this where terrorists hold a protest on a major highway?

When Terrorists Become the Victims in Their Own Narrative

Akahi News gathered that the blockage occurred along the strategic Maiduguri–Damaturu road, a critical artery for travellers, traders, and humanitarian supplies. Motorists were stranded. Commercial activities ground to a halt. And the reason? ISWAP is angry that the Nigerian Air Force has been pounding their enclaves.

It was alleged that the terrorists are demanding that the military halt its aerial bombardments, which have reportedly destroyed their logistics bases, fuel dumps, and hideouts in recent weeks. In their twisted logic, they are the aggrieved party. They are the ones crying foul.

Let that sink in. A group designated as a terrorist organisation by Nigeria and the international community is now staging what can only be described as a protest. They want the government to stop attacking them so they can continue attacking civilians.

Is this not the height of audacity? Is this not a complete inversion of morality?

Akahi News had earlier reported on the sustained military offensive against ISWAP strongholds. Just days ago, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted precision airstrikes on the Jilli axis, destroying a major terrorist logistics base and neutralising scores of insurgents. A 15-year-old ISWAP courier was arrested in Ngamdu. The military has been winning battles.

But now, the terrorists are fighting back—not with rockets and rifles alone, but with a blockade. They are trying to strangle the highway, cut off supply routes, and force the government to the negotiating table. They are protesting.

And the government? It must respond decisively. A highway blockade by terrorists is not a labour union strike. It is an act of war. It cannot be negotiated away. It must be broken by force.

It is not a child’s play for terrorists to block a federal highway in broad daylight. It sends a message that the state does not control its own roads. It emboldens other criminal groups. It tells ordinary Nigerians that their government cannot protect them even on major transit routes.

What kind of country is this? That is the question on every lip today. A country where terrorists protest. A country where the killers become the complainants. A country where the victims—the millions of displaced, the dead, the bereaved—are forgotten while their tormentors take to the highway to demand mercy.

The military must act swiftly. Airstrikes should target the blockade. Ground troops should be deployed to clear the road. The message to ISWAP must be unequivocal: you do not get to protest. You do not get to block highways. You get to surrender or die.

But beyond the immediate response, Nigerians are asking deeper questions. How did the state become so weak that terrorists can mount a protest? How did the narrative get so twisted that the aggressor plays the victim? And when will this madness end?

For now, travellers on the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway remain stranded. Families are separated from loved ones. Goods are rotting in trucks. And ISWAP is making a point: they are still here. They are still capable. They are still defiant.

The government must prove otherwise. Not with words. With fire and steel.

What kind of country is this? It is a country at war. And in war, there are no protests—only victories and defeats. Nigeria must ensure this blockade ends not in negotiation, but in annihilation.

Key Summary Box

What happened: ISWAP terrorists blocked the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway today, reportedly protesting the regular military airstrikes targeting their enclaves in the region.
The irony: A terrorist group responsible for thousands of civilian deaths is now acting as the aggrieved party, demanding that the government stop attacking them.
The impact: Travellers, traders, and humanitarian supplies have been stranded. The strategic highway is a critical route for the North-East.
The military context: Recent airstrikes have destroyed ISWAP logistics bases and hideouts, including the Jilli axis. A 15-year-old ISWAP courier was recently arrested.
Why it matters to Nigerians: A terrorist blockade on a federal highway is a direct challenge to state authority. It signals that insurgents still control significant territory and can disrupt civilian movement at will.
Bottom line: Terrorists are protesting. A major highway is blocked. The government must respond with overwhelming force. There can be no negotiation with those who protest their own defeat.