A senior Nigerian Army officer, Brigadier General M. Uba, has been killed in Borno State after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters reportedly intercepted and tracked his location along the Damboa–Biu road.
Security sources confirmed that the incident happened soon after the commander joined a joint air and ground mission that targeted insurgents in the area.
How the incident unfolded
Reports say the officer had contacted his superiors after the operation, telling them he was safe and regrouping with his men.
It is believed that this communication may have exposed his coordinates to the terrorists.
According to multiple accounts, the terrorists captured him alive, questioned him briefly, and later killed him.
The event came after a fierce clash on Friday night when troops under his command walked into an ambush laid by ISWAP fighters.
Joint operation and distress call
Earlier, the Nigerian Air Force had stepped in when ground troops were heavily attacked.
The Brigadier General and his team had pushed forward without knowing the route had been rigged with traps.
A sharp rise in the number of insurgents forced the commander to call for air support.
NAF aircraft, already engaged in other missions, diverted to the scene and struck the attackers, giving ground troops room to retreat with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
Conflicting reports and search efforts
News correspondence stated that senior military officers, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, moved to the Damboa base to lead efforts to find missing personnel.
This followed claims that several soldiers and CJTF members had been killed, and that Brigadier General Uba and other officers had been taken away.
Despite an earlier denial by the Nigerian Army, soldiers told News men that the commander had not returned to base.
One source said, “The Brigadier General who was abducted managed to send his live location to colleagues.”
Troops reached the shared location but found no sign of him.
Another military source revealed that the officer still had access to his phone at some point.
“Even yesterday morning, he made a video call to his dry cleaner but warned him not to talk,” the source added.
One rescued, others missing
Although a soldier who was shot and taken alongside him was later freed, the commander and two others remained missing at the time of the rescue attempts.
Top officers confirmed that a new commander, Brigadier General Mustapha, had been temporarily appointed to lead the 26 Task Force Brigade in Damboa.
According to senior officials, “Information reaching us revealed that the Brigadier-General was abducted alongside three other soldiers. However, one of the soldiers was shot and left behind in the bush.”
The officers said two Majors managed to walk back to camp after the attack.