A Nigerian Army Brigadier-General narrowly survived a deadly ambush by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters near Sabon Gari in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. The senior officer went missing for several hours after the attack but later returned to his base on foot.
The ambush occurred when Boko Haram and ISWAP militants, who had positioned themselves along the convoy’s route, opened fire on troops and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) operatives. Two soldiers and two CJTF members were killed in the assault.
Sources confirmed that the convoy was heading toward Bongry on the Biu road when it was attacked. A CJTF member from Nzula reported that the convoy included military personnel and local vigilantes. Another resident said the team left Damboa around 2pm in two Hilux trucks, two armoured personnel carriers, and several motorcycles.
According to him, the attackers also seized motorcycles before reinforcements later departed Damboa in additional Hilux and armoured vehicles to respond to the incident.
One of the most troubling parts of the attack was the temporary disappearance of the Brigade Commander who was part of the operation. A senior CJTF member said they had been unable to determine his location initially, though he was still responding to messages.
The Commander eventually made it back to base later in the day, trekking several kilometres through the bush after escaping the militants.
This is the first time, since the beginning of Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations, that a serving General directly involved on the frontline has gone missing during an ambush.
The incident has intensified concerns about the evolving tactics of ISWAP and the increasing dangers faced by senior military officers deployed to high-risk areas.
Damboa and surrounding communities have suffered multiple insurgent attacks in recent months, including assaults on patrol teams, ambushes along rural roads, and raids on farming settlements. Locals say the latest incident shows that many key routes remain unsafe despite years of military presence.
