THE killing of senior Nigerian military officers on the frontlines of the country’s counter-insurgency war highlights the risks borne by troops battling Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Despite over a decade of sustained military operations, these terrorist groups continue to exact a heavy toll, claiming not only the lives of rank-and-file soldiers but also the nation’s most decorated commanders
For over a decade, insurgency and terrorism in various parts of Nigeria have claimed the lives of some of the military’s most experienced commanders. Many were killed in ambushes while leading soldiers to repel attacks in the North-East.
Between October 2016 and April 2026, at least 16 senior officers, including three brigadier generals, two colonels, 10 lieutenant colonels and a major, have been killed in the line of duty. Most of these killings occurred in Borno State, where troops continue to confront recurring attacks on military bases and formations.
The recent killings of Oseni Braimah, Brigadier General and I.A. Mohammed, a Colonel in April, once again drew attention to the heavy toll of the conflict on the military’s leadership.
An analysis of the killings show that Borno State accounted for almost all the deaths, cementing the state’s position as the centre of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations.
Of the 16 officers listed, 15 were killed in Borno, while only M.Z. Manu, Lieutenant Colonel, was killed outside the North-East, in Katsina State.
By April 10 2026, The ICIR reported that Boko Haram factions have attacked at least eight Nigerian military bases since the beginning of the year. A data analysis of confirmed incidents between January and early April 2026 revealed the attacks as part of ISWAP’s so-called “Burning of the Camps” campaign; an ongoing offensive that began in February 2025 and has focused on military bases across the Lake Chad Basin.
Since its launch, the campaign has reportedly extended beyond Nigeria, with military formations in Niger and Cameroon also coming under attack.
Beyond that, a recent review by The ICIR documented how in the past eight years, 10 retired senior military officers including a former Chief of Defence Staff, major generals, brigadier generals, colonels and an air vice marshal have been abducted or killed in violent attacks linked to these broader insecurity crisis.
Meanwhile, below is a timeline of some of the most notable cases of active military officers killed by terrorists.
October 16, 2016: Lieutenant Colonel K. Yusuf
Lieutenant Colonel K. Yusuf was among the earliest senior military officers killed during the intensified phase of the war against Boko Haram.
Yusuf and his 15 foot soldiers were declared missing in action on October 16, 2016 after Boko Haram fighters dislodged them from their station in Gashiga.
It was unclear when the soldiers were killed but their bodies were recovered three months later after troops conducted clearance operations and dislodged some Boko Haram elements at Asaga village along Kamadugou river line in Borno State.
November 4, 2016: Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali
On November 4, 2016, the military again suffered one of its most painful losses with the death of Muhammad Abu Ali, a Lieutenant Colonel.
Abu Ali, commander of the 272 Task Force Battalion, was killed during an ambush by Boko Haram fighters around Mallam Fatori, close to Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic. Five soldiers were also killed in the attack.
Widely regarded as one of the army’s most courageous field commanders, Abu Ali had led several successful operations against Boko Haram.
November 15, 2016: Lieutenant Colonel B.U. Umar
Eleven days after Abu Ali’s death, another senior officer, B.U. Umar, Lieutenant Colonel, was killed in an insurgent ambush in Borno State.
Reports have it that the commanding officer of 114 TF battalion of the Nigerian Army was ambushed alongside his troops on a Monday morning between Bita and Piridang.
According to the reports, the army officer’s vehicle stepped on an improvised explosive device, IED, but he was not hurt. However, as he came out of the vehicle to assess the level of damage, the terrorists fired and killed him in the process.
December 12, 2016: Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu
The military suffered yet another loss when Lieutenant Colonel Otobrise Umusu was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in an ambush on Monday, December 12, 2016 on his way to Baga in Borno State.
Umusu, a Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer, 118 Task Force Battalion in Borno State, was killed alongside his security details
His death meant that four lieutenant colonels had been killed within two months.
November 18, 2018: Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Sakaba
Two years later, Ibrahim Sakaba, a Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 145 Battalion, was killed during the notorious attack on the military base in Metele, Borno State.
The assault, carried out by Boko Haram fighters, was one of the deadliest attacks against the Nigerian military during the insurgency. Scores of soldiers were killed, military equipment were destroyed and surviving troops were forced to retreat.
According to reports, Sakaba died alongside at least 117 of his soldiers following a catastrophic invasion of their base on November 18.
September 21, 2020: Colonel Dahiru Chiroma Bako
Dahiru Bako, Colonel and commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa, died from injuries sustained during a fierce battle with Boko Haram fighters.
Bako died 24 hours after sustaining injury in an ambush by Boko Haram in Wajirko village of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. His death was widely mourned within military circles because of his reputation as an experienced and fearless commander.
According to reports, Bako led his troops to liberate communities such as Damaturu, Gujba, Alagarno, Gulani, as well as Dulsa, Buk, Mainyakare Dambo. He also liberated Mina, Gulumba, Gana, and Kumshe in Borno. He reportedly rescued thousands of women and children.
September 25, 2020: Lieutenant Colonel M.Z. Manu
Just four days after Bako’s death, M.Z. Manu, Lieutenant Colonel, was killed following an ambush by armed bandits in Katsina State.
Unlike most of the other officers, Manu lost his life in Nigeria’s North-West, where security forces were battling armed bandits and criminal gangs.
His death reflected the growing security crisis spreading beyond the North-East to other parts of the country.
November 13, 2021: Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu
One of the highest-ranking officers killed during the counter-insurgency was Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu.
The commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade died alongside three soldiers after insurgents attacked troops in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
Reports indicated that he was responding to a distress call from troops when his convoy was ambushed.
October 17, 2025: Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko
In 2025, the military again suffered a major loss when Aliyu Saidu Paiko, a Lieutenant Colonel, was killed in an ambush in Kashimri area of Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Paiko, commanding officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, was leading troops on an operational patrol when insurgents attacked. Several soldiers were also killed during the encounter.
November 14, 2025: Brigadier General Musa Uba
Less than a month later, Musa Uba, Brigadier General, was killed in another insurgent attack in Borno State. Uba was the commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa local government area of Borno State.
Uba was captured and then killed during active engagement with the insurgents.
January 27, 2026: Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed
Lieutenant Colonel I.A. Mohammed, who was then recently promoted, was killed alongside several soldiers after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suspected to have been planted by insurgents, detonated in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State.
He was said to be leading a reinforcement mission to support troops who had come under attack the previous night when the explosion occurred.
March 1, 2026: Major Umar Ibrahim Mairiga
Umar Ibrahim Mairiga, a Major, was killed during military operations in Borno State.
He was killed alongside three soldiers and a hunter when terrorists carried out a deadly attack on the Forward Operations Base, a military position in Mayanti, Bama LGA, Borno State.
His death came amid a surge in attacks on military positions across several parts of northern Borno.
March 6, 2026: Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Iliyasu
Five days after Mairiga’s death, S.I. Iliyasu, Lieutenant Colonel and the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga was killed while participating in operations against insurgents.
According to the Army, the attacks occurred when remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, previously dislodged from the Sambisa Forest during sustained military offensives, regrouped and launched coordinated night assaults from multiple directions.
March 9, 2026: Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq
The string of losses continued when Umar Farouq, Lieutenant Colonel, was killed during operation on March 9, 2026 in Borno.
He succumbed to wounds sustained during an early-morning attack on a military base in Kukawa Local Government Area in Borno State.
His death brought to three the number of senior officers lost within just nine days.
April 9, 2026: Brigadier General Oseni Braimah
The military suffered another major blow when Oseni Omoh Braimah, a Brigadier General and Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Benisheikh, Borno State was killed.
Reports indicated that heavily armed insurgents had launched a coordinated attack on a military base, forcing troops into intense combat.
Braimah was among the casualties recorded during the battle. His death made him the second brigadier general killed by insurgents within five months and the third in the counter-insurgency war between 2016 to date.
April 12, 2026: Colonel I.A. Mohammed
Just days after Braimah’s death, I.A. Mohammed, a Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 242 Battalion, was killed while leading reinforcement troops to an embattled military base in the Monguno area of Borno State.
According to military reports, insurgents ambushed the reinforcement convoy using improvised explosive devices and heavy gunfire. The attack killed the colonel and six soldiers.
