A senior Nigerian Army officer, Brigadier General M. Uba, has been killed by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants after they reportedly intercepted and tracked his location along the Damboa–Biu road in Borno State, multiple military sources have confirmed.
The incident occurred shortly after the commander participated in a successful joint air and ground operation against insurgents in the area.
According to PRNigeria, General Uba had earlier contacted his superiors to confirm he was safe and regrouping with his team following the operation. However, his communication is believed to have exposed his coordinates to the insurgents.
Sources said the officer was captured alive, briefly interrogated, and then executed by ISWAP fighters.
Background of the Attack
The joint military offensive began when ground troops, led by Brigadier General Uba, unknowingly advanced through a route that had been booby-trapped. A fierce gun battle erupted, and the sudden reinforcement of ISWAP fighters forced the commander to order a tactical withdrawal while calling for air support.
Nigerian Air Force aircraft diverted from other missions to provide close air support, carrying out strikes that dispersed the terrorists and rescued several soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members.
Conflicting Reports and Rescue Attempts
SaharaReporters earlier reported that top commanders, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, arrived in Damboa to lead search-and-rescue efforts after reports that several soldiers had been abducted during the Friday-night ambush that killed two soldiers and two CJTF members.
While the Nigerian Army initially denied the abduction of the 25 Brigade Commander, soldiers who spoke with SaharaReporters insisted he had not returned to base.
A senior military source revealed that General Uba managed to send his live location to colleagues before communication went silent.
“They traced the location but did not find him. It’s unclear whether his phone battery died or if the device was seized,” the source said.
Another source disclosed that the officer was forced to make a video call to his dry cleaner while in captivity but cautioned the person not to speak.
Troops deployed to the shared coordinates returned unsuccessful. One abducted soldier who had been shot was reportedly released, while General Uba and two others remained missing before confirmation of the commander’s death emerged.
New Leadership Appointed
In response to the crisis, Brigadier General Mustapha has been appointed to lead the 26 Task Force Brigade in Damboa pending further direction from Army Headquarters.
According to officers involved in the rescue mission:
“Information reaching us confirmed that the Brigadier General was abducted with three soldiers. One was shot and left behind. Two Majors returned on foot, and an acting commander has been appointed until Abuja gives confirmation.”
ISWAP has continued to launch coordinated raids on military convoys in Nigeria’s Northeast, with Friday’s attack being one of the latest in a series of ambushes targeting security personnel and CJTF members.
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