Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigerian military has endured a devastating sequence of losses, with three commanding officers killed in separate attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents within one week in Borno State. The fatalities increase the number of field commanders and senior officers killed over the past three months to at least seven, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing the country’s counter‑insurgency efforts in the Northeast.
Local security sources, analysts, and official military communiqués indicate the recent deaths occurred during fierce assaults on forward operating bases and during ambushes on troop clearance missions. Despite sustained operations by the Joint Task Force North‑East, known as Operation Hadin Kai, Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters continue to exploit vulnerabilities along highly contested fronts.
The three officers identified in the latest incidents are:
• Major U. I. Mairiga, commanding officer of the Mayenti Forward Operations Base in Bama Local Government Area.
• Lieutenant Colonel Umar Faruq, commander of the Kukawa Forward Operating Base and leader of the 101 Brigade.
• Lieutenant Colonel S. I. Iliyasu, commanding officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga.
The most recent incident took place on Monday, March 9, when insurgents overran a military camp in Kukawa Local Government Area. Security sources said fighters infiltrated the town from several directions just after midnight, overwhelming the base and forcing troops to retreat. Vehicles were set on fire and ammunition was reportedly stolen in the chaos. Lieutenant Colonel Umar Faruq was killed during the assault, along with several soldiers.
A spokesman for Operation Hadin Kai acknowledged the loss of a brave officer in the engagement but declined to name him in an initial statement. He confirmed, however, that troops had regained control of the base following counter‑operations.
Only weeks earlier, on March 1, Major Umar Ibrahim Mairiga was killed during a fierce Boko Haram attack on the Mayenti Forward Operations Base in Bama. Security sources described Mairiga as having fought resolutely against the terrorists, inflicting significant casualties before being overpowered. Backup forces arriving later discovered a cache of weapons, including rocket‑propelled grenades and anti‑aircraft weapons, along with the bodies of numerous Boko Haram fighters.
Then, on March 6, Lt‑Col S. I. Iliyasu, the commanding officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, was killed during another ambush. The attack also claimed the lives of other personnel attached to the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, including a lieutenant.
These losses are part of a broader pattern of deadly engagements in Borno and neighbouring states. On January 28, insurgents ambushed a patrol team near Damasak, killing seven soldiers, including the commanding officer, during a surprise attack. In October 2025, Aliyu Saidu Paiko, commander of the 202 Battalion, was killed along with other soldiers during confrontations near Bama.
In a separate incident last Wednesday, a coordinated assault on a military base in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area, resulted in the deaths of fourteen soldiers, including a senior officer, and the abduction of more than 100 civilians. Reports indicate that parts of Ngoshe remain under insurgent control, leading to mass displacement of residents.
Beyond attacks on military positions, insurgents have also targeted civilian communities. Fighters recently launched an assault on Dalwa, a settlement about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri in the Konduga area, displacing residents and destroying property shortly after state authorities had begun resettling families.
The coordinated nature of many insurgent operations was also evident in attacks that occurred between March 8 and March 9. Militants launched simultaneous assaults on multiple fronts — including Konduga, Mainok, Jakana, and Marte — in an effort to overwhelm defensive positions before withdrawing to hideouts in rugged terrain.
Despite these brutal engagements, military officials maintain that Operation Hadin Kai forces have held defensive lines across most positions and are continuing to push forward with offensive operations. Military statements confirmed that while insurgents briefly breached sections of defensive perimeters in some locations, reinforcements and air support played critical roles in repelling further advances. Weapons recovered from retreating militants included machine guns, rifles, rocket‑propelled grenades, mortar bombs, and ammunition, according to official reports.
Security expert and former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, expressed deep concern over the deaths of senior military commanders, noting that their experience is vital for planning and executing complex military operations. He said that insurgents often operate outside conventional tactical norms, making their attacks unpredictable and difficult to counter.
Ejiofor urged both short‑term action and long‑term reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture. In the immediate term, he emphasised the importance of reliable community intelligence to support security forces. For longer‑term solutions, he advocated for structural reforms — including the creation of state police — which would require constitutional amendments but could enhance internal security efforts against insurgent groups.
He also observed a tactical pattern in which insurgents sometimes escalate attacks as national elections approach, seeking to project resilience and relevance even as the military claims progress against terror networks. “They target military positions and civilians to show continued activity and influence,” he said, while expressing confidence that, over time, Nigerian forces would ultimately prevail.
The deaths of commanding officers and other soldiers underscore both the resilience of Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters and the challenges faced by Nigerian security forces in stabilising the Northeast after more than a decade of insurgency. Families of the fallen officers grieve personal losses even as the nation continues a hard‑fought effort to push back violent extremists.
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