A senior Nigerian Army officer, Brigadier-General O. Braimah, the Brigade Commander of the Joint Task Force in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, has reportedly been killed following a Boko Haram assault on a military base in the area.
Sources said the insurgents attacked the military formation late Wednesday night, engaging troops in a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted several hours.
Although soldiers repelled the attackers, reports indicate that the brigade commander was among those killed during the confrontation. Several insurgents were also said to have been neutralised by troops during the clash.
A resident of the area, Mallam Lawa Benesheikh, who shared details of the incident on social media, said the insurgents invaded the military facility in large numbers.
“Innalillahi wa Inna’illaihin raji’un. Boko Haram has again, unfortunately, succeeded in eliminating the commanding officer of Benisheikh,” he wrote.
“This unfortunate incident occurred when the insurgents stormed the military formation in large numbers. May the souls of the fallen heroes rest in peace.”
Vanguard reported that the chairman of Kaga Local Government Area, Hon. Zanna Ajimi, confirmed the attack and the death of the brigade commander.
“Yes, we just left the military base, and I can confirm that the brigade commander is among the casualties,” Ajimi said.
Benisheikh, located along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, remains a critical military hub in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East.