Details of how Brigadier General Oseni Braimah and 17 other military officers were killed in the wee hours of Thursday following lethal attacks by suspected fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on military formations in Borno State, have emerged.
The vicious raid, targeted the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area, alongside locations in Ngamdu and Pulka in Gwoza LGA.
Residents in the area said the attackers engaged troops for hours, firing intermittently and causing heavy casualties.
“The brigade commander, his second-in-command and the Imam of the Brigade, as well as several officers and soldiers, were killed in the attack that lasted several hours,” a sources familiar with the development said.
Sources further disclosed that the clashes also led to the deaths of civilians, security operatives, and a number of ISWAP fighters.
The attack on Benisheikh reportedly began around 1am, with insurgents setting ablaze trucks and commercial vehicles.
Victims included travellers who had stopped overnight due to the routine closure of the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road.
“Many insurgents were also killed by troops in Benesheikh. Unfortunately, some security personnel, including the brigade commander paid the supreme price, and several vehicles were carted away by the terrorists,” another source revealed.
In Pulka, insurgents reportedly looted shops and destroyed facilities belonging to a construction firm, Decency Associates, burning vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira.
Pulka currently shelters thousands displaced from Ngoshe, which was attacked by Boko Haram about a month ago.
Security sources indicated that the Ngamdu attack may have been intended to divert attention and delay reinforcements to Benisheikh, while the Bakin Ruwa assault similarly served as a distraction for operations in Pulka.
Moreover, the Defence Headquarters while confirming the attack said that troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade came under attack around 12:30am on April 9.
In a statement, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Michael Onoja, said insurgents attempted to breach the brigade’s defences but were repelled.
“In continuation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Operation HADIN KAI came under a coordinated terrorist attack on their location at the Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State.
“However, the troops, led by the Commander 29 Brigade, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, responded with exceptional courage, professionalism, and superior firepower.
“In a well-coordinated counteraction, the insurgents were decisively engaged and forced to retreat in disarray, abandoning their mission,” the statement said.
The military described the attack as a desperate move by insurgents facing sustained pressure but acknowledged that some personnel were lost.
“Regrettably, the encounter resulted in the loss of a few brave and gallant soldiers who paid the supreme price in the line of duty. The Chief of Defence Staff honours their heroism, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to the defence of the nation,” the statement added.
Brig. Gen. Braimah graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy with a degree in History and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in September 2000.
He held multiple advanced degrees, including a Master’s in National Security Management and War Studies from the National Defence University in Islamabad, and another in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Benue State University.
He also earned a Defence Studies qualification from King’s College London.
His career included service as a UN Observer, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Guard Brigade, Commanding Officer of the 7 Guard Battalion, and instructor at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.
He later served in Operation Hadin Kai, as Defence Adviser in Pakistan, and as Chief of Staff at the 6 Division in Port Harcourt before his latest posting as Brigade Commander in Benisheikh.
