Commander’s Death Signals Nigeria in Chaos over Insurgency

Last week’s killing of Brigadier-General Oseni Braimah and several soldiers in coordinated attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP in Borno State has once again revealed that the insurgency war is far from abating, Wale Igbintade writes

The Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, and 17 soldiers were among the latest casualties in last Thursday’s coordinated attacks by suspected Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on military formations in Benisheikh, Kaga LGA, as well as Ngamdu and Pulka in Gwoza LGA of Borno State.

The insurgents reportedly invaded the three military formations with heavy gunfire and explosives, killing at least 18 soldiers and officers, including the General, and leaving several others critically injured.

Local sources in Benisheikh town told journalists that the insurgents reportedly fired at the military facility sporadically, causing numerous casualties.

They explained that civilians, other security operatives and scores of ISWAP terrorists were also killed during the simultaneous midnight attacks. According to sources, the insurgents attacked Benisheikh town and set many trucks and commercial vehicles ablaze. The assailants reportedly killed motorists and passengers who were in transit and stopped to pass the night in the town, due to the routine closure of the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road in the evening.

Other locals said the terrorists first launched the attack in Pulka and Bakin Ruwa at about 10:30pm on Wednesday, where they overran a military base, setting several pieces of hardware ablaze.

According to reports, the terrorists also looted food items from shops in Pulka town, and destroyed other facilities, including machines and equipment of a road construction firm, Decency Associates, where they set ablaze vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira.

Brigadier General Braimah has added to the growing list of high-ranking military officers killed by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in recent times.

In the past few weeks, the two terrorist groups have carried out a series of deadly and coordinated attacks on military and police formations across Borno and Yobe states, killing soldiers, police officers and civilians.

On February 16, 2026, Lt. Col. O. C. Okolo lost his life, alongside other soldiers during a Boko Haram attack at Mandaragirau in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

Last March, Boko Haram fighters ransacked Ngoshe town and launched simultaneous blasts at UMTH gate, Post Office and Monday Market in Maiduguri metropolis, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others.

The military also lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operations bases following attacks by Boko Haram and the ISWAP at different locations within seven days. The three commanding officers were Major U.I. Mairiga, who headed the Mayenti base; Lt-Col Umar Faruq, commander of the Kukawa base and the 101 Brigade; and Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu, who served in Konduga.

Major Mairiga was killed on March 1 when Boko Haram terrorists attacked his base in Mayenti, Bama LGA. On March 3, 14 soldiers were reportedly killed during a coordinated attack on a military base in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area. A senior military officer was killed, while more than 100 people were abducted.

On March 6, the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, Lt-Col Iliyasu, was killed along with several soldiers during another attack by Boko Haram insurgents. On the same day, some personnel, including one Lieutenant J.O. Ejeh, attached to the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, were also killed during an ambush.

On March 9, insurgents overran a military camp in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, killing the commanding officer, Lt-Col Faruq, alongside several soldiers.

On January 28, Boko Haram fighters attacked a military formation in Damasak, killing seven soldiers, including the commanding officer, during an ambush near the town. The terrorists reportedly ambushed a patrol team, capturing the officer before executing him alongside other personnel.

Last November, in what could have been considered a sacrilege, the commander with the Nigerian Army’s 25 Task Force Brigade, Brig. Gen. Musa Uba, was killed by ISWAP fighters who then taunted Nigerian authorities by releasing footage about his death after he was captured.

Last week, the forest guards that was launched recently and deployed to some states across the country with the hope that it would be a game changer in the fight against insecurity, was hit when five of its personnel, including a commander, were killed by armed bandits in Nuku community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. It was gathered that the suspected terrorists, who stormed the community, also destroyed their motorcycles and burned down several buildings in the community.

It was also learnt that the patrol vehicles of the police in the area were set ablaze during the attack. Some members of the community said the area was thrown into confusion and panic as a result of the incident, leading to villagers running helter-skelter in search of a safe abode.

The frequent ambush attacks and raiding of military bases particularly in the North-east, North-west, and North-central, where the military is battling insurgency and banditry, are increasingly showing a worrying trend.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu last week in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, expressed sadness over the loss of the soldiers, he urged the leadership of the Armed Forces and all soldiers on the frontline not to be discouraged, but to draw strength from the nation’s deep appreciation for their sacrifices. He called on Nigerians and the media to stand with the military in the fight against insecurity.

While many Nigerians on various social media platforms have urged the president to stop the killings of military officers, others have urged the government to place more priority on human lives like other countries.

 Those who spoke with THISDAY emphasised the need to increase the resources and training available to security agents. This, they added, could include providing better equipment and weapons, as well as training in the latest tactics and techniques for dealing with terrorist groups and other emerging threats.

They also made a case for increased intelligence and surveillance capabilities that would help in tracking down those responsible for the killings and bringing them to justice.

It was not only security personnel that suffered casualties as many civilians were also killed. For instance, in Kebbi State, the police confirmed that 44 persons were killed.

Also, no fewer than 61 bodies of security operatives and civilians killed in bandits’ attacks on Bagna and Erena communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State were been recovered.

Residents said the corpses were retrieved from surrounding bushes days after the abduction. Among the victims was the vigilante commander, identified as Manga. He was said to have been rescued alive after sustaining gunshot wounds during a gun battle with the attackers but later died from his injuries.

In Plateau State, eights persons were also killed on Thursday night when gunmen attacked Vole community in Kwatas district, Bokkos Local Government Area.

So alarmed with the loss of lives, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, called on the Tinubu-led government to immediately provide the state-of-the-art equipment and get the right technology for the frontline troops to confront the insurgents.

He said: “As you are fully aware, we’ve had challenges on issues bordering on insecurity in this country, maybe for over 15 years now. Since around 2010, we’ve had that challenge as a country, and it has persisted.

“You would recall that about a week plus ago, there was also another attack in Plateau State, in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, where tens of Nigerians were killed. Yes, this is one death too many. It has been recurring over time, and this is a sad one that people were just on their own, celebrating and gunmen invaded them and started shooting at them and a number of them died.”

Osifo, who described the gruesome killing as disheartening, said it was time the federal government took  decisive steps to save the lives of Nigerians.

“It is really sad to see Nigerians being killed like chickens. It’s really appalling to see Nigerians being killed in a way that people are being slaughtered. It is now becoming a norm that when people are killed, we only release press statements, we do a visitation, we go back and the next day it continues,” he said.

While acknowledging the valiant efforts of security agents, TUC president charged them to do more and implored the political class to provide them with the requisite tools to confront the terrorists.