…Debunks General’s abduction
A fresh wave of coordinated insurgent attacks has plunged Borno State into heightened insecurity, as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched sophisticated assaults across key towns between May 12 and 13, before escalating into a deadly ambush on troops along the Damboa–Biu corridor in mid-November.
According to reports, ISWAP fighters unleashed one of their most coordinated offensives in years, hitting Marte, Dikwa, Rann, and the Damboa–Maiduguri highway in near-simultaneous strikes that exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency posture.
In Marte, insurgents stormed the town at 3:00 a.m. on May 12, overwhelming the military and capturing several soldiers. The town, strategically located along Lake Chad smuggling routes, fell under ISWAP control.
By midnight on May 13, Rann and Dikwa came under heavy attack. Witnesses reported the buzzing of drones overhead—marking a dangerous technological shift—as the group breached defences, triggering mass civilian flight toward Cameroon. Many of those displaced had only recently been resettled after IDP camp closures in Maiduguri.
Later that day, an IED exploded along the Damboa–Maiduguri road, disrupting the crucial economic and humanitarian lifeline serving southern Borno.
Security sources say ISWAP’s ability to sustain large, simultaneous operations stems from its growing financial architecture—ransom payments, taxation in captured areas, cross-border smuggling networks, and weapons salvaged from raided bases.
The group, no longer distracted by clashes with rival Boko Haram factions, has consolidated control, absorbed defectors, and strengthened its foreign-fighter presence in the Lake Chad Basin.
The insurgency’s resurgence escalated on 15 November, when ISWAP fighters ambushed a military convoy in the Sabon Gari–Wajiroko axis along the Damboa–Biu Road. Sources initially reported that rocket-propelled explosives forced troops into a retreat, leaving four personnel dead—two soldiers and two Civilian JTF members. Reports also suggested the abduction of a Brigadier-General, deepening concerns about troop vulnerabilities in the region.
A source claimed several soldiers were still missing and that motorcycles and ammunition were carted away during the ambush.
But in a swift rebuttal, the Nigerian Army dismissed reports of the commander’s capture as “fake narratives”.
In an official statement, the Army said Brigadier-General M. Uba, Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, led his troops through the ambush and successfully returned to base after “forcing the insurgents to withdraw in disarray.”
The military confirmed the deaths of four personnel but praised their sacrifice, with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, saluting the troops’ resilience “in one of the most dangerous theatres of conflict”.
Across Marte, Rann, Dikwa, and neighbouring communities, thousands of residents continue to flee recurring ISWAP assaults, raising concerns for aid organisations already stretched thin. Newly resettled families – some displaced within 72 hours – say they live in constant fear, often fleeing into forests at night in search of safety.
