AND THE GENERAL DIED 

 Musa Uba, a brigadier-general, dies in the frontline

The tragic death of Brigadier General Musa Uba is a huge national loss. He was commander of the 25 Brigade in Damboa, Borno State, before he fell victim to an attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents. General Uba was ambushed, captured, and executed by the terrorists. We join the government and the people of Nigeria in mourning the loss of this hero.

In this war against terrorism, our armed forces are directly challenged to perform their constitutional role of defending Nigeria and its citizens. General Uba fell in the discharge of that duty. In a nation where patriotism has been largely trivialised, the sacrifice of one heroic life in the service of our collective existence and national survival is patriotism of the highest order. We urge the authorities to assuage the tragedy of his loss through generous support to his family. Besides, the life and death of an illustrious hero such as General Uba should be an object lesson to our leaders and the generality of our people. To live and perhaps die in defence of the nation and fellow citizens is perhaps the most noble of sacrifices.

Born on 27th January 1978 in Zamfara State, Uba was in August 1996 enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) where he studied political science and international relations. Following his graduation in August 2001, he was posted to the Infantry Corps where he rose through the ranks to become a Brigadier General in August 2024. He also held various staff, instructional and command appointments before being appointed as Commander for the Damboa sector, one of the most dangerous locations that has claimed no fewer than three senior officers in recent years. Musa Uba was married and blessed with children, one of whom just graduated from the Nigerian Military School.

 The loss of a General in a theatre of war sends the message that the counter insurgency war has entered a serious national emergency. It is therefore not enough to condole the bereaved family or mechanically affirm the casualty. Political authorities in the country must admit that we have a serious external invasion to deal with. We are also dealing with enemies who have a clear territorial objective that is at variance with Nigeria’s national interest.

 Beyond the case for adequate training and equipment of the military, the issue of commensurate welfare has been raised several times. For years, there have been pathetic reports on the plight of military widows and their children. Indeed, in many cases, entitlements and benefits of those killed in the line of duty were hardly paid promptly, leaving their families and dependents to the vagaries of the harsh social and economic situations. What is even more alarming is the sheer number of families faced with this colossal tragedy. From a never-ending Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast to general banditry in the Northwest, to herder-farmer crisis in the North Central, and sundry other criminalities in other parts of the country, many of our military personnel are constantly paying the supreme price.  

We must also recognise that the current violence in Nigeria speaks to a national psychology that has devalued human life to the lowest level. Across the country, hundreds of people are being killed almost daily either by criminal cartels or lone wolves who seem to have overpowered the capacity of the state. But the situation becomes more worrisome when these criminals also target our military personnel. The time has come to realise the severity of the threat to our national security by reassessing the current strategies.