ISWAP claims it executed Brigadier General M. Uba after Borno ambush

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for Friday’s ambush on a military convoy in Borno State and insists it killed Brigadier General M. Uba, a claim that sharply contradicts the Nigerian Army’s official position.

The attack occurred along the Damboa–Wajiroko axis, where soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) operatives were escorting military equipment. ISWAP fighters reportedly opened heavy fire on the convoy, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire.

Security sources said the insurgents seized at least 17 military motorcycles during the raid, and two CJTF personnel as well as two soldiers were killed.

Amid the chaos, rumours spread that Brigadier General Uba had been captured. The Nigerian Army, however, dismissed the reports.

Army spokesperson, Onyema Anele, said the brigadier general “successfully repelled the ambush with superior firepower,” forcing the insurgents to withdraw. She maintained that Uba returned safely to base and continued to lead his men.

The general also appeared in a recorded video statement, assuring the public he was alive and unharmed.

But in a new twist, Reuters reported that ISWAP claimed it had indeed captured and executed the senior officer. According to the international news agency, the terrorist group posted its claim on the Amaq propaganda platform, insisting the ambush was successful and that the general was among those killed.

The military has not yet issued a follow-up response to the insurgents’ latest statement.

Friday’s attack highlights the persistent volatility of the Borno security corridor, where ISWAP continues to launch deadly ambushes despite intensified counterterrorism operations in the North-East.