By Obinna Uballa
The intensifying insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East has once again exposed the dangers faced by frontline commanders after three Nigerian Army officers leading forward operating bases were killed within a seven-day period in Borno State, causing fear within and outside the armed forces.
The deaths of the officers, each responsible for defending strategic military positions against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have drawn attention to the renewed ferocity of insurgent attacks in the region.
Security sources and local observers say the incidents highlight the continuing threat posed by terrorist groups despite years of sustained military campaigns aimed at degrading their operational capacity.
The latest casualties bring to at least seven the number of commanding officers reportedly killed in the theatre of operations within the past three months, in addition to a brigadier general.
The officers killed in the most recent attacks were Major Umar Ibrahim Mairiga, who commanded the Mayenti Forward Operations Base in Bama Local Government Area; Lieutenant Colonel Umar Faruq, who headed the Kukawa base and oversaw operations under the 101 Brigade; and Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Iliyasu, the commanding officer of the 222 Battalion stationed in Konduga.
All three officers were leading troops in areas considered among the most volatile in the North-East insurgency theatre.
The most recent incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, March 9, when insurgents launched a coordinated assault on a military formation in Kukawa Local Government Area.
According to local and security sources, heavily armed fighters stormed the town around midnight, attacking the military camp from multiple directions in a bid to overwhelm the troops stationed there.
During the attack, the commanding officer, Lt-Col Umar Faruq, and several soldiers were killed while defending the base.
“They stormed the town from different directions and launched an assault on the military camp. They dislodged the troops, set vehicles ablaze and carted away ammunition,” a security source familiar with the incident said.
While the exact number of casualties remains unclear, the spokesman for the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, Lt-Col Sani Uba, confirmed that a senior officer died during the attack, describing him as a gallant soldier.
Ironically, the same military base had come under attack only weeks earlier, but troops under the command of the late Lt-Col Faruq successfully repelled the insurgents, killing several fighters.
His leadership during the earlier defence of the base had been widely praised by residents of the community and celebrated on social media.
In one widely circulated video, the lawmaker representing Kukawa Local Government Area in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, was seen congratulating soldiers following the earlier victory.
However, the renewed attack ultimately proved fatal for the officer.
Another officer killed during the week was Major Umar Ibrahim Mairiga, who died on March 1 when Boko Haram fighters attacked the forward operations base at Mayenti in Bama Local Government Area.
According to a security source, the officer led a determined resistance against the attackers before he was eventually overwhelmed.
“The unit commander gave the terrorists a tough fight but was eventually overpowered after some soldiers fled into the bush,” the source said.
“He died a brave soldier. Many Boko Haram fighters were killed during the encounter, and several weapons were recovered afterwards.”
The officer had reportedly been deployed to the base less than four months earlier after receiving a special promotion.
A few days later, on March 6, another senior officer, Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu, commanding officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, was also killed during a separate insurgent attack.
Several other soldiers attached to the 21 Special Armoured Brigade were reportedly killed during the same ambush, including a lieutenant.
These incidents form part of a broader pattern of escalating attacks on military formations across Borno State in recent months.
Within the last three months alone, commanding officers stationed in Damasak, Kukawa and Bama have reportedly been killed while defending their bases during insurgent raids or ambushes.
The attacks have occurred even as the Nigerian military continues to intensify operations across key insurgent strongholds such as the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad Basin.
Military authorities say scores of insurgent fighters and commanders have been killed during these operations, with several major terrorist camps destroyed.
Nevertheless, insurgent groups have continued to launch coordinated assaults on military positions and vulnerable communities.
Security expert and former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, described the killing of senior officers as troubling, noting the enormous resources invested in training military commanders.
“That should be of serious concern if you consider what it takes to train military officers,” he said.
Ejiofor explained that insurgent groups often rely on unconventional tactics, making their attacks difficult to predict. “They strike anywhere and in any manner. But our forces will surely overcome them,” he added.
