by Mercy Emmanuel
Beyond the Fog of War: Army Sets the Record Straight on Benisheikh Ambush
MAIDUGURI — In the high-stakes environment of Borno State, where the line between battlefield reality and digital rumor often blurs, the Nigerian Army moved Friday to clarify the circumstances surrounding a deadly ambush in Benisheikh.
At the heart of the clarification is the memory of Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, a high-ranking commander who, along with three of his men, “paid the supreme price” during a fierce engagement with insurgents earlier this week.
Following the attack, viral reports and unverified videos suggested that General Braimah’s death was a tragic result of a mechanical failure—specifically, an unserviceable vehicle that left him stranded in the kill zone.
However, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, Media Information Officer for the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, dismissed these claims as a deliberate distortion of facts. He clarified that the General was not in a standard utility vehicle, but was commanding from a high-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.
”The vehicle was temporarily immobilized in the heat of combat while he was actively coordinating the counter-assault,” Uba explained. “The situation reflected the intensity of the battle, not equipment failure.”
The military also addressed conflicting reports regarding the death toll. While some social media accounts claimed as many as 17 soldiers had fallen, the Army officially confirmed that four personnel—two officers and two soldiers—were killed.
Lt. Col. Uba cautioned the public against the emotional manipulation often found in viral content, noting that many of the images being circulated are unrelated to the Benisheikh incident and are designed to “erode public confidence and cause panic.”
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Despite the heavy loss of their leader, the Army maintains that the troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled the assault, maintaining control of the strategic location and forcing the insurgents into a retreat.
The gravity of the loss has reached the highest levels of government. President Bola Tinubu has expressed his deep condolences to the families of the fallen, acknowledging General Braimah’s bravery and the ultimate sacrifice made by his team in the line of duty.
For the residents of Kaga Local Government Area, the news is a somber reminder of the ongoing volatility in the region. As the military continues to mop up the area, the official word from Maiduguri is a call for calm and a plea for the public to honor the fallen by seeking the truth amidst the noise of the digital age.
