The Nigerian military has suffered a setback as jihadists launched a attack on a military base in the northeastern state of Borno. According to local government and intelligence sources, the assault resulted in the loss of an army general and several soldiers. The deceased army general, identified as Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, is the second highest-ranking military official to be killed in the region within the past five months.
The attack occurred at the military base in Benisheikh, located approximately 75 kilometers from the state capital Maiduguri. Four sources, including the military, confirmed the overnight incident. One intelligence source indicated that the death toll reached 18. The jihadists, who were able to overrun the base, set vehicles ablaze in the process.
In a statement, President Bola Tinubu honored the fallen soldiers, specifically mentioning General Braimah. Tinubu praised the soldiers’courage and heroism in their efforts to repel the terrorists and protect the communities they served. The attack comes on the heels of the November killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), marking the highest-ranking military official’s death in the conflict since 2021.
The Nigerian military acknowledged the attempted breach of the base’s defensive perimeter but claimed that the insurgents were decisively engaged and forced to retreat in disarray. Major General Michael Onoja, a defense headquarters spokesman, stated that the attack resulted in the loss of a few brave soldiers but did not disclose the toll or specify who was killed.
Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency for 17 years since the 2009 uprising by Boko Haram. The conflict has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including ISWAP. Researchers have noted a rise in violence since last year, with Maiduguri witnessing two suicide bombings since December. The US State Department has authorized the evacuation of “non-emergency US government employees “from Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation.
The jihadist conflict, concentrated in the northeastern countryside, has spread to western Nigeria, where organized crime gangs known as “bandits “have been targeting villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners. This week alone, attacks have claimed 90 lives, including an assault in Kebbi state attributed to a local jihadist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that at least 1,900 people had been displaced by the attacks in Kebbi, which sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger.
Source: Africanews
Original author: Sarah Miansoni
