Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and 17 soldiers paid the supreme price early Thursday in coordinated attacks by suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on military formations in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area, as well as Ngamdu and Pulka town in the Gwoza LGA of Borno State.

The late Brig. Gen. Braimah was Brigade Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh. The insurgents reportedly invaded the three military formations with heavy gunfire and explosives, killing at least 18 soldiers and officers, including the General, and leaving several others critically injured.

Local sources in Benisheikh town told Daily Trust that the insurgents reportedly fired at the military facility sporadically, causing numerous casualties.

“The brigade commander, his second-in-command and the Imam of the Brigade, as well as several officers and soldiers, were killed in the attack that lasted several hours,” several sources told our correspondent.

They explained that civilians, other security operatives and scores of ISWAP terrorists were also killed during the simultaneous midnight attacks.

According to sources, the insurgents attacked Benisheikh town at about 1am on Thursday and set many trucks and commercial vehicles ablaze. The assailants reportedly killed motorists and passengers, who were in transit and stopped to pass the night in the town, due to the routine closure of the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road in the evening.

“Many insurgents were also killed by troops in Benesheikh. Unfortunately, some security personnel, including the brigade commander paid the supreme price, and several vehicles were carted away by the terrorists,” a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed.

In a Facebook post, a resident of Benisheikh, Malam Lawal Benisheikh wrote, “Innalillahi wa Inna’illaihin raji’un. Boko Haram has again, unfortunately, succeeded in eliminating the commanding officer of Benishiehk.

“This unfortunate incident occurred last night (Thursday) when the insurgents stormed the military formation in numbers. May the souls of the fallen heroes rest in peace.”

Other locals said the terrorists first launched the attack in Pulka and Bakin Ruwa, both in Gwoza LGA, at about 10:30pm on Wednesday, where they overran a military base, setting several pieces of hardware ablaze.

“Then at about 1am, the terrorists launched another attack on Benisheikh and Ngamdu towns, and overran the 29 Task Force Brigade, destroying several military vehicles,” one of the sources said.

According to reports, the terrorists also looted food items from shops in Pulka town, and destroyed other facilities, including machines and equipment of a road construction firm, Decency Associates, where they set ablaze vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira.

Daily Trust reports that Pulka currently hosts thousands of displaced people from Ngoshe town, who sought refuge after their community was ransacked by the Boko Haram terrorists a month ago.

Local sources said the attack on Ngamdu, which is close to Benisheikh, appears to have been a diversion aimed at preventing reinforcements from reaching Benisheikh. Also, the attack on the Bakin Ruwa military base served as a diversion for the assault on Pulka.

Daily Trust reports that in the last few weeks, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have carried out a series of deadly and coordinated attacks on military and police formations across Borno State, killing soldiers, police officers and civilians.

Last March, the Boko Haram fighters ransacked Ngoshe town and launched simultaneous blasts at UMTH gate, Post Office and Monday Market in Maiduguri metropolis, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others.

Military confirms killing of soldiers

The military high command confirmed the killing of some personnel attached to the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.

A statement issued by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, said the attack occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on April 9, 2026.

Onoja, a Major-General, explained that insurgents attempted to breach the defensive perimeter of the military installation.

He said troops of Operation HADIN KAI, led by the brigade commander, responded with “exceptional courage, professionalism, and superior firepower,” forcing the attackers to retreat.

“In continuation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Operation HADIN KAI came under a coordinated terrorist attack on their location at the Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State.

“However, the troops, led by the Commander 29 Brigade, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, responded with exceptional courage, professionalism, and superior firepower.

“In a well-coordinated counteraction, the insurgents were decisively engaged and forced to retreat in disarray, abandoning their mission,” the statement said.

The senior military officer described the attack as a sign of desperation by insurgents, who had suffered significant losses in recent military operations and resorted to futile and ill-fated offensives against well-defended military positions.

The military acknowledged that the encounter resulted in casualties among troops, but did not confirm or debunk reports that Brig. Gen. Braimah was among those killed in the incident.

“Regrettably, the encounter resulted in the loss of a few brave and gallant soldiers who paid the supreme price in the line of duty. The Chief of Defence Staff honours their heroism, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to the defence of the nation,” the statement added.

It said the High Command had extended condolences to the families of the fallen personnel and urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information, especially on social media.

The Defence Headquarters also disclosed that clearance operations were ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and prevent them from regrouping.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria, in collaboration with stakeholders and other security agencies and stakeholders, remain resolute and undeterred in the ongoing fight against terrorism and insurgency. Additional clearance and exploitation operations are ongoing in the general area to track and neutralise fleeing insurgents,” it stated.

Who was Brig. Gen. Oseni Braimah?

According to his profile on LinkedIn, late Brig. Gen. Oseni Braimah obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in September, 2000.

He obtained a Master’s in National Security Management and War Studies from the National Defence University, Islamabad, and a Master of Arts in International Relations and Strategic Studies between 2004 and 2006 from Benue State University.

From 2016 to 2017, the late General obtained a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College, London. He later obtained a Diploma in Strategic Leadership and Management from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

In the field, he was an Observer with the United Nations from 2011 to 2012. And from January to December 2014, he was Deputy Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of the Guard Brigade.

He served as Commanding Officer at the 7 Guard Battalion from December 2014 to October 2015 and was Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State from October 2015 to December 2018. He later served as Chief Instructor in the College from December 2018 to December 2019.

Late Brig. Gen. Braima was Chief J3 (DCOS G3) at the headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai, North East, from December 2019 to May 2021. He later served as Defence Adviser, Nigeria High Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan, from May 2021 to August 2024.

He was also Chief of Staff at the 6 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, between September 2024 and March 2025.

Until he paid the supreme price on April 9, Brig. Gen. Braimah was serving as the Brigade Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh.

General Braimah’s killing added to the number of senior military officers killed in the last three months. Findings showed that most of the deaths occurred during attacks on military bases or ambushes carried out by insurgents during clearance operations.

In early March, Daily Trust reported that the Nigerian military lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operations bases following attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) at different locations within seven days in Borno State.

The three commanding officers were Major U.I. Mairiga, who headed the Mayenti base; Lt-Col Umar Faruq, commander of the Kukawa base and the 101 Brigade; and Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu, who served in Konduga.

On March 1, Major Mairiga was killed when Boko Haram terrorists attacked his base in Mayenti, Bama LGA. On March 3, 14 soldiers were reportedly killed during a coordinated attack on a military base in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area. A senior military officer was killed, while more than 100 people were abducted.

On March 6, the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, Lt-Col Iliyasu, was killed along with several soldiers during another attack by Boko Haram insurgents. On the same day, some personnel, including one Lieutenant J.O. Ejeh, attached to the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, were also killed during an ambush.

On March 9, insurgents overran a military camp in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, killing the commanding officer, Lt-Col Faruq, alongside several soldiers. Earlier in February, insurgents had attacked the military base but were repelled by troops under the command of the late Lt-Col Faruq, with many terrorists reportedly killed.

On January 28, Boko Haram fighters attacked a military formation in Damasak, killing seven soldiers, including the commanding officer, during an ambush near the town. The terrorists reportedly ambushed a patrol team, capturing the officer before executing him alongside other personnel.

In recent months, the military has intensified operations in high-risk locations, including the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the military, scores of insurgent commanders and fighters had been killed during operations conducted across multiple fronts, with several major terrorist camps also destroyed.

‘A dangerous pattern’

A public analyst, Dr Musa Usman Konduga, of the University of Maiduguri, who commented on the killing of Brig-Gen O Braimoh, described it is as “one killing too many.” He recalled that three commanding officers in Kukawa, Kunduga and Banki were killed in similar circumstances within a short period of time.

He said, “We also had the killing of Brig-Gen Uba, in charge of Damboa, in Wajirko. Within a period of a few months, we lost a number of gallant commanding officers who have served this country and are doing enough in securing our communities.

“We don’t know whether this pattern is being created by some criminal elements, or whether the insurgents have some information they are effectively using to eliminate the commanders.

“Some of us may not know, but a dangerous pattern is being created and it’s going to have implications on the field itself because if a commanding officer is killed, it will somehow demoralise his lieutenants.

“I’m not a soldier, but there is an implication on the men working directly under them, because they will feel very insecure. Also, there is an implication for peace, because people are gradually losing confidence in the ability of the military to protect them. A lot of people are saying if these high-ranking officers are being killed, nobody is safe in the community; that is the implication for the communities.”

The analyst said swift action needs to be taken by the government to address the issue.

“The killing of the generals basically made the news, but the question is, other than the commanders, how many men were also killed during this process? This is strategic information that the military high command may not easily tell the media or the public, but they have to do something about it. They have to find a way of arresting these unfortunate patterns that are gradually coming up.

“I mentioned several times that these insurgents are now very mobile, they organized and reorganized and some of us feel that they have replenished their ranks and are moving around. So there is a need for our soldiers to also be mobile and move around and target these people. So long as these soldiers stay in one particular place waiting for them to come, this thing will never end.

“There has to be a lot of intelligence gathering, movement, scouting the bushes and tracing the steps of these people as they move from one community to another. That is the surest way of putting an end to this crisis,” he said.

Tinubu condemns attack

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed sadness over the loss of the “brave soldiers of the 29 Task Force Brigade, Operation HADIN KAI,” who died in a terrorist attack on their camp in Benisheikh.

The condolence was contained in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. President Tinubu also called on Nigerians and the media to stand with the military in the fight against insecurity.

President Tinubu praised 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.

The President urged the leadership of the Armed Forces and all soldiers on the frontline not to be discouraged, but to draw strength from the nation’s deep appreciation for their sacrifices.

“From the reports I have received, our armed forces have been conducting sustained, intense land and air offensives against the insurgents, neutralising many of their fighters and commanders. The insurgents’ counterattack is a sign of desperation.

“I extend my condolences to the families of our gallant soldiers, led by Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our country today in Borno State.

“The government will never forget their sacrifices. Their sacrifices will not be in vain. Because of the courage and dedication of our troops on the frontline, our resolve to defeat terrorism and all forms of violence across Nigeria is stronger than ever.

“My condolences also go to the government and people of Borno State. The Federal Government will continue to work with the state government to achieve total victory and lasting peace,” the statement read in part.

Halt killings now, TUC tells Tinubu

The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has charged President Bola Tinubu to stop the killings of military officers, other security agents and Nigerians immediately, urging the government to place more priority on human lives like other countries.

The TUC President, Festus Osifo, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja also bemoaned the recent killings in Plateau.

Osifo called on the Tinubu-led government to immediately provide the state-of-the-art equipment and get the right technology for the frontline troops to confront the insurgents.

He said, “As you are fully aware, we’ve had challenges on issues bordering on insecurity in this country, maybe for over 15 years now. Since around 2010, we’ve had that challenge as a country, and it has persisted.

“You would recall that sometime this year, about a week plus ago, there was also another attack in Plateau State, in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, where tens of Nigerians were killed. Yes, this is one death too many. It has been recurring over time, and this is a sad one that people were just on their own, celebrating and gunmen invaded them and started shooting at them and a number of them died.

“It is really sad to see Nigerians being killed like chickens. It’s really appalling to see Nigerians being killed in a way that people are being slaughtered. It is now becoming a norm that when people are killed, we only release press statements, we do a visitation, we go back and the next day it continues.

“We must not fail to thank our security outfits for all the things that they have been doing. Having thanked them, we also charge them to do more. We charge the political class to provide them with the requisite tools to be able to confront these terrorists once and for all.”

(Daily Trust News)