How army gen, others were killed during terrorists attack in Borno Military

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The Joint Task Force Northeast Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has clarified the circumstances that led to the killing of a Commanding Officer (CO) and soldiers during terrorists attack on a military base at Benisheikh, a volatile town in Borno State.

Terrorists, suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the Brigade Headquarters of the army at Benisheikh along Maiduguri-Damaturu highway in the early hours of Thursday.

The Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Oseni Braimah, was reportedly killed in the fierce battle. Some media reports blamed failure of the army combat vehicle to work amid the battle as responsible for his death.

OPHK Spokesman, Lt Col Sani Uba, however described as incorrect claims that the Brigade Commander’s vehicle was unserviceable.

“The Commander was mounted on a high-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, which was temporarily immobilised in the heat of combat while he was actively coordinating the counter-assault. This reflects the intensity of the engagement and the presence of leadership at the decisive point, not any equipment failure,” Uba explained in a statement on Friday.

He also condemned the pictures and videos circulated in connection with the attack, insisting they are unrelated to the Benisheikh incident.

He said the media materials were deliberately misrepresented “to reinforce false narratives.” He urged members of the public to disregard such content, adding that they were clearly intended to misinform and create unnecessary panic.

“The Nigerian military strongly frowns at the distortion of operational facts and the use of such unfortunate incident for personal/political gains or propaganda. Such actions not only mislead the public but also diminish the sacrifices, courage, and professionalism of officers and men who continue to risk their lives daily in the defence of the nation,” he declared.

According to him, two officers and two soldiers died in the attack contrary to casualty figures earlier reported (not in The Sun).

Benisheikh, a once commercially thriving town in Borno along the highway, has witnessed about a dozen terrorists attacks from 2015 till date.