Abstract: Most research on Boko Haram has been focused on its ideology, development, actions and official responses to it. Little research has been focused on civilian resistance to Boko Haram nor to the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency on Yola. At the height of the crisis for Yola in 2014–2015, Boko Haram occupied villages only a few hours away from the city. Moreover, the internally displaced population (IDP) doubled the size of greater Yola’s pre-crisis population. This article examines resident responses to the need to protect the city from a Boko Haram invasion; to provide humanitarian relief to IDPs; and to establish programs to lower Boko Haram’s recruitment of local youth. It contributes both to local Yola history and the history of northeast Nigeria, and to the understanding of how civilians impact the course of insurgencies.