Jihadists have killed a Nigerian brigadier general during an attack on a military base in the northeast, marking the second loss of a senior officer in five months.
The incident highlights the prolonged insurgency that has gripped Africa’s most populous country since Boko Haram’s uprising in 2009, with splinter groups such as Islamic State West Africa Province continuing to expand their operations.
The attack occurred overnight in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where gunmen stormed a military base, killing at least 18 soldiers and destroying vehicles.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources also confirmed the brigadier general’s death.
The killing comes months after Brigadier General Musa Uba was killed by ISWAP in November, making him the most senior officer to die in the conflict since 2021.
Security sources said the attackers overran the base during the assault.
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“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
Another source said the attackers inflicted heavy damage before withdrawing.
“The terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
Military authorities, including the Defence Headquarters, have yet to respond to the incident.
Security analysts have warned of increasing violence since 2025, with attacks becoming more frequent and widespread.
Maiduguri has recorded two suicide bombings since December, raising fears of a return to the large-scale urban attacks seen at the peak of the insurgency.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
Although the insurgency remains concentrated in the northeast, armed groups have expanded operations into other parts of the country, including the northwest and parts of the north-central region.
In northwest Nigeria, gunmen killed at least 90 people across several villages this week, based on figures from local and humanitarian sources.
One of the attacks occurred in Kebbi State, where police linked the violence to a jihadist group known as Mahmuda, believed to have ties to Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi, which borders Benin and Niger, has witnessed a rise in such attacks since 2025.
Data from conflict monitoring group ACLED indicates a surge in violence linked to militants associated with both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
In neighbouring Kwara State, fighters linked to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed responsibility for an attack in October, reinforcing concerns that the Sahel conflict is spreading southwards.
In December, the United States, with support from Nigerian forces, carried out airstrikes in Sokoto State targeting fighters from Islamic State Sahel Province, who are typically active in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP