Brigadier-General Braimah, 18 Soldiers Killed in Borno Terrorist Attack

Nigeria’s northeast has suffered another devastating blow after suspected ISWAP terrorists overran a military base in Benisheikh, killing Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah and at least 18 soldiers in a coordinated overnight assault.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, targeted the 29 Task Force Brigade headquarters in Benisheikh, approximately 75 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi confirmed the death of the brigade commander, with multiple intelligence sources corroborating the toll.

According to an intelligence source who spoke to AFP, the attackers overran the base, killing at least 18 troops and setting vehicles and buildings ablaze before withdrawing. The Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirmed that “insurgents attempted to breach the defensive perimeter” but claimed they were “decisively engaged and forced to retreat in disarray.”

Second High-Ranking Officer Killed in Five Months

Braimah’s death marks the second killing of a brigadier-general in the northeast conflict in just five months. Brigadier-General Musa Uba was killed by ISWAP in November 2025 — at the time, the highest-ranking military official to die in the conflict since 2021.

President Bola Tinubu paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, praising “the courage and heroism of the soldiers who fought valiantly to repel the terrorists and ensure that Boko Haram could not overrun the communities the soldiers protect.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also mourned, saying: “My heart is heavy at the news of the killing of Brigadier-General O. Braimah, Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, alongside gallant soldiers and the brigade’s Imam, in the Boko Haram attack on Benisheikh.”

Rising Violence Across Northern Nigeria

The attack is part of a worrying pattern of escalating violence. Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December, recalling the urban carnage that marked the insurgency’s peak a decade ago. Conflict monitors say there has been a surge in attacks since 2025, carried out by groups affiliated with both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

In the northwest, gunmen killed at least 90 people across remote villages this week alone, according to an AFP tally. Kebbi State was particularly hard hit, with police blaming a local jihadist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda through Ansaru.

The same day as the Borno attack, the United States ordered non-emergency embassy staff to leave Abuja, citing a “deteriorating security situation” across Nigeria — a move that underscores how serious the crisis has become on the global stage.

Sources: Africanews, Daily Post, The Star, Reuters, BBC