BREAKING NEWS: Boko Haram/ISWAP Attack Kills Brigadier General, Several Soldiers in Borno
Benisheikh, Borno State — A deadly pre‑dawn assault by Boko Haram/ISWAP militants on Thursday, April 9, 2026, has left a Brigadier General and multiple Nigerian soldiers dead in one of the most serious attacks recorded this year.
The insurgents stormed a Nigerian Army base in Benisheikh, unleashing heavy gunfire that destroyed parts of the facility. Short video clips shared by surviving troops show burnt structures, damaged vehicles, and smoke rising from the barracks following the attack.
Among the fallen is Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who was reportedly leading the counteroffensive when he was killed. Unofficial field reports suggest 17–18 soldiers may have died, though the Nigerian Army has not confirmed specific numbers, stating only that “gallant troops paid the supreme price.”
Troops under Operation Hadin Kai eventually repelled the attackers after intense fighting, preventing a full takeover of the base.
This incident adds to a troubling pattern of high‑ranking officers being lost in Nigeria’s long-running insurgency, raising renewed concerns about the evolving tactics of Boko Haram and ISWAP.
BBC‑Reported List of Recently Fallen Nigerian Military Officers
Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah — April 2026
Lieutenant Colonel S. I. Iliyasu — March 2026
Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq — March 2026
Brigadier General Sani Uba — November 2025
Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko — October 2025
Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu — November 2021
Colonel Dahiru Chiroma Bako — 2020
Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Sakaba — 2018
Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali — 2016