By Obinna Uballa
A commanding officer in the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, has been killed in a fresh attack by Boko Haram insurgents on a military base in Borno State, in what security sources describe as part of a growing wave of coordinated assaults on military positions in the North-East.
Sources said the senior officer died when militants suspected to belong to the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram stormed a military formation in Kukuwa town, located in Kukawa Local Government Area of the state.
The attackers were said to have launched the assault on Sunday in a highly coordinated operation that overwhelmed troops stationed at the base. During the attack, the insurgents reportedly dislodged the soldiers, set military vehicles on fire and carted away ammunition from the facility.
After taking control of the base, the gunmen reportedly advanced into parts of the surrounding community, unleashing violence on residents.
Security sources confirmed on Monday that Lieutenant Colonel Farouq, who served as the commanding officer of the formation, was among the soldiers killed during the assault.
“The commanding officer here, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, and some of his troops have been confirmed dead already. It is very sad,” one of the sources said.
The latest incident comes less than 72 hours after another senior Nigerian Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Iliyasu, was killed by insurgents in a separate attack in Borno State.
Iliyasu, who was the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion, reportedly died alongside several of his soldiers when terrorists attacked their formation in Konduga Local Government Area.
Security sources say the killings of the two senior officers highlight the increasing intensity of insurgent operations across parts of the North-East.
In recent weeks, militants have stepped up attacks on military formations, targeting bases and patrol teams in coordinated raids across Borno State.
Between late Thursday night and the early hours of Friday, insurgents reportedly carried out simultaneous attacks on four military bases located in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and Marte.
According to military sources, the attackers struck the bases in separate waves, beginning around 10 p.m. in Konduga, Mainok and Jakana, before launching another assault on Marte at about 3 a.m.
The gunmen reportedly arrived in different groups and opened fire on the military facilities, sparking intense gun battles with soldiers stationed at the bases.
During the attacks, several armoured tanks and military vehicles were reportedly destroyed, while the insurgents allegedly seized a large quantity of ammunition from the affected formations.
A military source said troops managed to kill a number of the insurgents while repelling the assaults.
“Several attacks on military bases under Operation Hadin Kai were carried out by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists in Konduga, Mainok and Jakana around 10:30 p.m., while the attack in Marte happened around 3 a.m.,” the source said.
“The attacks on military bases have been increasing on a daily basis within the North-East theatre of operations.”
The source explained that Konduga is located along the Bama axis close to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, while Mainok and Jakana lie along the strategic Maiduguri–Damaturu highway.
Marte, another town affected by the attacks, is located beyond Dikwa Local Government Area and lies close to Nigeria’s border with Chad.
Despite the resistance from troops, sources said the insurgents temporarily took control of some of the bases before withdrawing.
“They took over some of these bases for hours without air support from the Nigerian Air Force,” one of the sources said.
“As they usually do, they burned the camps together with military equipment before leaving.”
Multiple sources also disclosed that more than 40 bodies of soldiers were recovered after the attacks, although the Nigerian military has not officially confirmed the casualty figures.
The attacks form part of a broader resurgence of insurgent violence in Borno and surrounding states.
Less than 24 hours before one of the assaults on the military bases, Boko Haram fighters reportedly attacked Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area, killing an unspecified number of civilians and abducting several women.
Security sources said the insurgents first targeted a military post in the area before moving into the community and attacking residents during the early hours of the morning.
During the raid, the militants reportedly invaded the 82 Division Task Force Battalion under the 26 Brigade and also attacked a camp for internally displaced persons in the community.
Earlier in the month, several soldiers, including a Major identified as Ibrahim Mairiga, were killed during an attack on a forward operating base at Banki Junction along the Bama–Gwoza road.
Security analysts warn that the renewed attacks on military formations suggest that insurgent groups are attempting to reassert their operational strength in parts of the North-East despite years of military operations against them.
