Suspected ISWAP terrorists blocked the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway in north-east Nigeria on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
They took the action to protest damage from military airstrikes in the area a week earlier.
The blockage brought traffic to a halt on the important route that links Borno and Yobe states.
Videos shared online show the terrorists and local people standing across the road as vehicles waited on both sides.
The protest follows an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force on 11 April in the Jilli area of Gubio Local Government Area in Borno State.
The military described the operation as a precision strike on a known logistics hub used by ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists to collect levies, buy supplies, and plan attacks.
Government officials said the strike formed part of Operation Hadin Kai and came after weeks of surveillance.
They stressed that the target was a terrorist enclave along a busy insurgent corridor near the Borno-Yobe border.
However, reports from the area and rights groups claim the strike hit a local market and caused many civilian deaths.
Some accounts speak of more than 100 people losing their lives, including traders and residents.
The military has denied these claims and insists the operation hit only terrorist targets.
Residents in the region say the airstrike left damage in Jilli and nearby communities.
ISWAP then organised the highway protest to show their anger over the losses and to draw attention to the impact on people in the area.
The incident highlights the continued tensions in the north-east, where ISWAP maintains a presence despite years of military efforts.
Travellers on the Maiduguri-Damaturu road often face risks from insurgent activity, and such blockades add to the disruption for ordinary citizens.
Security sources note that the terrorists called for an end to the airstrikes during the protest.
No immediate reports emerged of violence at the scene, but the action disrupted movement for several hours.
The Nigerian authorities have not yet issued a detailed statement on the highway blockage.
Operations against ISWAP continue as part of the broader campaign to restore stability in Borno and Yobe.
This event comes amid ongoing challenges in the region, where both sides accuse each other of harming civilians while claiming to target only fighters and their support networks.
