A senior Nigerian Army commander, Brigadier General M. Uba, has been killed by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after the insurgents reportedly intercepted and tracked his location along the Damboa–Biu axis in Borno State, multiple security sources have confirmed.
The fatal incident occurred shortly after the commander participated in a joint air–ground offensive that successfully repelled terrorists in the area. According to reports, Brig-Gen Uba had contacted his superiors after the operation, assuring them he was safe and regrouping with his team. However, his communication is believed to have inadvertently exposed his coordinates to ISWAP.
Sources said the commander was eventually captured alive, interrogated briefly, and executed by the terrorists.
Earlier on Friday night, ground troops led by Brig-Gen Uba advanced into the area, unaware that the route had been heavily booby-trapped. The soldiers came under a fierce ambush, prompting the commander to order a tactical withdrawal before calling for emergency air support.
Responding swiftly, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft diverted from ongoing missions to provide close air support, delivering targeted strikes that helped disperse the insurgents and extract the commander, troops, and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members caught in the ambush.
But even after the intervention, several military personnel remained unaccounted for.
Initial reports from SaharaReporters indicated that Brig-Gen Uba and two soldiers were abducted during the attack. Although the Nigerian Army publicly denied the abduction, soldiers who spoke off-record insisted that the commander had not returned to base.
Senior sources disclosed that the Brigadier General managed to share his live location with colleagues shortly before contact was lost. Troops deployed to the coordinates found no trace of him.
Another insider revealed that the abducted commander appeared to have limited access to his phone under duress.
“Even yesterday morning, he made a video call to his dry cleaner but warned him not to talk,” the source said.
One of the abducted soldiers who was shot was later found and rescued. However, the Brigadier General and two other personnel remained missing until confirmation of his killing emerged.
In the wake of the attack, senior military leaders, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, arrived in Damboa to coordinate rescue operations and boost troop morale.
A temporary replacement, Brigadier General Mustapha, has now been appointed to lead the 26 Task Force Brigade in Damboa pending further directives from Army Headquarters.
The deadly ambush forms part of a rising wave of ISWAP attacks across northeastern Nigeria. The Friday night assault, described as highly coordinated, left several soldiers and CJTF members dead and has heightened concerns over the insurgents’ growing ability to intercept communication and track high-value targets.