Today in history, On April 16, 2013 – The 2013 Baga massacre is started when Boko Haram militants engage government soldiers in Baga.

 The 2013 Baga massacre began in April 2013, in the small town of Baga, situated in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. It involved a violent confrontation between the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and Nigerian government forces. Boko Haram, which has been designated a terrorist organization by multiple countries including the United States and the United Nations, has been active in the region since 2009, promoting an extreme interpretation of Islam and opposing Western-style education and government institutions. The violence in Baga marked one of the deadliest incidents in the group's early insurgency.

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The violence reportedly began when Boko Haram militants attacked a military patrol in Baga. In the ensuing battle, Nigerian soldiers engaged the insurgents, and the fighting escalated rapidly. Witnesses and human rights groups reported that the military, in retaliation for the attack, unleashed a brutal crackdown on the town. What followed was widespread destruction, with large parts of Baga set ablaze. While the government claimed that only a small number of people had died and blamed Boko Haram for most of the destruction, independent reports indicated otherwise.

According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts showed extensive damage to homes and property, with over 2,000 buildings destroyed or damaged. Many civilians were reportedly trapped in their homes as they burned. Civilians accused Nigerian security forces of indiscriminate killings, looting, and arson in retaliation for the militant attack. The Nigerian government at the time denied widespread abuse but launched an investigation into the incident after international outcry.

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The human toll was devastating. Estimates of the death toll varied widely, with numbers ranging from several dozen to over 200 civilians killed, although exact figures were difficult to confirm due to restricted access to the area and the remote location of the town. Thousands of residents fled Baga and surrounding villages, seeking safety in other parts of Borno State or across the nearby border with Chad. The attack highlighted the vulnerability of civilians caught between Boko Haram’s brutality and heavy-handed military responses.

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The 2013 Baga massacre had lasting implications for Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy and the military’s relationship with local populations. It eroded trust in the government’s ability to protect its citizens and drew sharp criticism from human rights groups. The incident underscored the challenges of combating a ruthless insurgency while maintaining respect for human rights and the rule of law. It also foreshadowed even more deadly attacks, including another massacre in Baga in 2015, where Boko Haram was accused of killing hundreds, possibly thousands. The tragedy of Baga remains a painful symbol of the complex and deadly conflict in northeastern Nigeria.