The Nigerian Army has laid to rest the remains of the late commander of the 29 Joint Taskforce Brigade, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah; Captain Ismail; and other soldiers killed in recent insurgent attacks in Borno State. The attacks, which occurred on April 9, were carried out by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters, who launched simultaneous assaults on multiple military positions in Benisheikh, a strategic town in Kaga Local Government Area along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway. This comes as troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion repelled a fresh attack by suspected terrorists on Wednesday. The army, in a statement on its official Facebook handle, @Nigerian Army HQ, on Wednesday, said the military heroes were buried at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery in Maiduguri.
The statement read, “On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the nation conducted a formal and emotionally significant ceremony to honor the late Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, Captain Ismail, and other courageous soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.“The burial service, held at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery in Maiduguri, Borno State, was characterized by profound mourning, respect, and contemplation.”
Their sacrifice serves as a profound reminder of the substantial toll endured daily by members of the Armed Forces in their commitment to uphold the peace, unity, and security of Nigeria,” it stated.Dignitaries present at the internment included Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and various other senior military officials.”In their tributes, the Governor, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Chief of Army Staff honored the fallen soldiers as true patriots who demonstrated unwavering resolve in perilous circumstances and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of others,” the statement emphasized.It further highlighted that their valor and sense of duty “will continue to inspire future generations and remain an indelible part of the nation’s history.””With profound sorrow, prayers were offered for the eternal rest of their souls, while citations detailing their service and sacrifices were read aloud to their next of kin.”The statement noted that the grief experienced by their families underscores the human cost associated with the nation’s security endeavors, even as their bravery remains a source of pride and respect.”As the nation mourns its heroes, it is reminded that the freedom and stability enjoyed today come at a significant cost, borne by courageous individuals who prioritized duty above self and sacrificed everything in the service of their homeland.”In a continuation of their unrelenting assaults on military personnel, suspected terrorists reportedly killed four soldiers from the 115 Task Force Battalion in the Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.Our correspondent learned that the soldiers were killed during an attack around noon on Wednesday.Military sources indicated that the assailants were equipped with superior weaponry during the engagement that lasted nearly one hour.”They launched an attack on the 115 Task Force Battalion in Askira Uba this afternoon. Four soldiers lost their lives. It was a gun battle between the troops and the insurgents. The troops were caught off guard, but they held their ground,” the source reported.In Monguno, Borno State, troops allegedly set fire to buildings in the Charlie 2 community, alleging collaboration with terrorists in a recent attack that resulted in the death of their commander.This development follows the attack on the Forward Operating Base of the 242 Battalion on Sunday, which led to the death of the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. A. Mohammed, and six other soldiers due to an ambush employing improvised explosive devices.The troops reportedly torched several structures, citing security concerns linked to the community’s involvement in terrorist operations. However, The Reporter has learned that the operation was temporarily suspended after intervention from senior military officials, with plans for dialogue involving the Monguno local government chairman and community leaders.In an effort to enhance security throughout Benue State, law enforcement has initiated clearance operations aimed at dislodging criminal elements from affected communities.Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari stated, “The command has maintained the deployment of tactical teams and is conducting targeted clearance operations in identified areas of concern.”He issued a warning against cattle rustling and any form of collaboration with criminal groups. “Any individuals involved, directly or indirectly, in such activities will be regarded as collaborators in banditry and will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he affirmed.
He told locals that efforts are still being made to reestablish order and protect people and property.Meanwhile, a more stringent reaction to the nation’s security situation has been demanded by the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Yoruba sociocultural organization Afenifere. According to the ACF, there is an existential threat because the level of insecurity has increased to a “state of war.”Asserting that only a wartime strategy can effectively handle the situation, the conference has called on the Federal Government to promptly reevaluate national priorities.This declaration was issued on Wednesday, the same day that U.S. senator Kimberly Daniels called for the dismissal or reassignment of Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defense.Following its Board of Trustees’ 38th meeting, which took place in Abuja on Saturday, the northern leadership released a statement that was signed by BoT Chairman Bashir M. Dalhatu. Deputy Chairman Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, former Inspector-General of Police M. D. Abubakar, former UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, and former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Yusufu Buratai were among the prominent Northern leaders present at the meeting. Former Nigerian Ambassador to China Baba Ahmed Jidda, former Minister of Women Affairs Salamatu Suleiman, and legal expert Joe-Kyari Gadzama were among the notable attendees. A number of others participated electronically.
According to the conference, Nigeria’s security problems have grown beyond criminal activity and insurgency to become a major struggle that threatens the country’s survival.The conference stated, “Nigeria’s security problem has evolved from insurgency and lawlessness into an outright war that now threatens the entire core of Nigeria as we know it. It has far surpassed a normal governance challenge.”The North-East insurgency, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central regions, conflicts between farmers and herders, and intercommunal violence were among the factors identified by the ACF as contributing to the growing problem. Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been displaced or killed in states like Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara, they said, lamenting the startling human cost. “Families have been decimated, livelihoods obliterated, and entire generations scarred.” The communiqué stressed that “the extent of human suffering is unprecedented and the situation continues to deteriorate.”The group also warned that the country’s economy, especially agriculture, which they described as being in grave danger throughout the North, is being severely impacted by the continuous security situation.”Nigeria’s economy is being seriously undermined by insecurity.
There are significant hazards to the agricultural economy, especially in the North. It said, “Rural economies are failing, supply systems are disrupted, and inflation is rising.””Redirecting national resources towards security is not a hindrance to economic progress; it is a precondition,” the ACF emphasized, emphasizing that tackling insecurity must come before all other national challenges. The meeting declared that economic growth will remain illusive in the absence of peace and stability.The event called for the Federal Government to implement a “wartime approach,” which would involve suspending non-essential initiatives in favor of concentrating resources to fight insecurity.”Extraordinary threats call for extraordinary reactions. It said, “Nigeria must temporarily stop or scale back non-essential initiatives and concentrate national efforts, funding, and leadership toward resolving the security problem without further delay.”Nigeria is at a critical juncture, according to the communiqué: “The rising security crisis threatens not only lives but also the fundamental stability and future of the nation.” Nigeria needs to act quickly to stop future deterioration, it continued.It concluded by stating that Nigeria’s larger goals will remain unattainable until its citizens are able to travel, live, and farm without fear.
The way forward is clear: secure the country first, decisively, thoroughly, and promptly.Additionally, the ACF strongly advised people and communities to refrain from aiding terrorists and bandits, calling such acts unlawful and self-destructive.”This support or facilitation leads to self-defeat; those communities that harbor or accommodate the demands of these agents of terror are the first to suffer,” ACF National Publicity Secretary Tukur Muhammad-Baba said in an interview with The Reporter, adding that communities that give sanctuary or support to criminal elements frequently end up being their main victims.He warned that supporting criminal organizations puts people at serious legal risk in addition to the immediate dangers.”Direct or indirect support of this kind is prohibited and puts community members at risk of being prosecuted as accomplices to major crimes. It compromises national security,” he underlined.Muhammad-Baba went on to say that cooperation with terrorists jeopardizes security operations and puts workers in danger.
“It puts security agents at risk, decreases their morale, endangers their lives, and emboldens terrorists and other criminals,” he stated.He emphasized that half-measures would not be enough, restating the forum’s position: “No method short of the absolute eradication of perpetrators and their accomplices will suffice.” “No one should be spared at all,” he declared.In order to prevent cooperation with criminal organizations, the ACF also urged state and local governments to strengthen public awareness programs. “Ignorance—while never an excuse—often feeds support for terrorists or passive tolerance of their presence.” He stated that ongoing awareness campaigns are necessary to address this.Additionally, he called for more security in high-risk public areas.”Markets and other community spaces need to be sufficiently secured. They should be reused or managed by authorities as needed. He warned, “Leaving such locations empty invites harm.”Similarly, Afenifere voiced its displeasure with the growing insecurity in the South-West and the country overall, stressing the need for governments to take more aggressive measures.In order to increase the efficacy of the South-West Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, in safeguarding the lives and property of the region’s citizens, the group especially asked the governors of the South-West to be more proactive and to fortify the organization.
This was said in a statement released after the group’s caucus meeting on Tuesday at the home of its National Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure. Mr. Jare Ajayi, the association’s National Publicity Secretary, later shared the statement.”The summit, once again, communicated severe worry regarding the security situation in the country, particularly the growing acts of terror in Yorubaland,” the statement read. Among the suggested actions are strengthening Amotekun, enhancing surveillance, and accelerating the establishment of state police, in collaboration with neighboring states—especially Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta—where there are significant Yoruba populations.””Afenifere seized this occasion to convey condolences to the victims of terrorism in Yorubaland and abroad,” the group added. This reality greatly disturbs the group, which calls for swift action to stop what seems to be a genocidal goal.Due to the vast forests that bandits use for their nefarious activities, it called on South-West governors to implement the resolutions made in previous security meetings, promoting collaboration with governors of Kwara and Kogi States for the benefit of Yorubas and other residents of those states.”Government and security agencies, including the military, should conduct inward assessments, as insecurity persists due to internal collaborators,” the group said, praising the military’s and other security agencies’ efforts and calling for additional equipment and support. It stated that local communities should be prioritized because they do have accomplices.This draws attention to dishonest people who work with terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers; confessions made public by some suspects support this worry.”Afenifere agrees with the President on this topic,” the group said, restating its appeal for the country’s restructuring in order to accelerate national growth. We continue to advocate for restructuring because we think it will greatly speed up the achievement of this admirable goal.”U.S. senator Kimberly Daniels has called on President Bola Tinubu to either fire or transfer Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defense, expressing concern about the nation’s growing security issues. “An immediate leadership review is required.” The credibility of the defense ministry would be restored if Minister Bello Matawalle were removed or redeployed, she said.She also demanded more international pressure and responsibility.
“Allegations of high-level banditry complicity must be thoroughly investigated. Those who are suspected of assisting terrorists must be held accountable by the world community,” she said.She denounced the terrible murders of Christians in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and other parts of Nigeria on Palm and Easter Sundays.She claims that Nigerian politicians and citizens have grown weary of President Tinubu’s political bluster and are calling for “concrete acts, while the cries for justice from the innocent blood shed resonate from the ground.”According to sources, there are “red flags,” like as allegations of housing bandit leaders, enabling ransom payments, and collaborating with bandits during Matawalle’s governorship in Zamfara.”Immediate Leadership Review: The removal or relocation of Minister Bello Matawalle to restore the integrity of the defense ministry; Institutional Transparency: Conducting a transparent investigation into claims of high-level collusion with banditry to regain the public’s trust; Enhanced Protection: Implementing stronger security measures for vulnerable communities in the North-Central and Northwestern regions” were among the recommendations she made.”Increase diplomatic pressure to ensure that individuals accused of helping terrorism face justice,” she said, urging the United States, the United Kingdom, and other international organizations to put more diplomatic pressure on the Nigerian government to hold those involved in terrorism accountable.
My position on this matter is a result of Nigerian citizens contacting me. As a minister of the gospel and chair of UN-WCD, my ties to Nigeria force me to speak out,” she continued.
In a similar issue, a March 2026 report from the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies’ Legislative Centre for Security Analysis described the worsening scenario, including 345 deaths and 361 kidnappings from 36 occurrences across the country.According to the research titled “Escalation and Expansion: Nigeria’s Security Crisis Deepens in March 2026,” terrorism accounted for 72% of the killings (248 fatalities), driven by a rise in suicide bombers and coordinated attacks.It reported an increase in attacks against military formations and senior officers and designated Borno and Plateau as important hotspots. Senior officers have been killed in well planned operations as a result of increased guerrilla attacks on military installations, the source continued.With 167 fatalities, the North-East geopolitical zone had the largest number, followed by the North-Central with 99.It stated that 300 people were kidnapped and 100 people were killed in a terror attack in Ngoshe, Borno State.
The report went on to explain that terrorists are using more sophisticated and deadly techniques, with coordinated attacks increasingly targeting military facilities and senior officials.Concerns were expressed on the possibility of violence spreading across the nation, despite the fact that it is now concentrated in the North-East and North-Central regions.It emphasized the necessity for immediate legislative and security measures and warned that security services must adjust as the military faces growing direct threats.
Additionally, the paper cautioned that “upcoming elections may provoke greater volatility.”Young people in Benue State are ready to take part in any planned nonviolent demonstrations against insecurity in the North, according to Joseph Koriyol, the youth leader of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide.Koriyol voiced his dismay at the continued violence against farmers in the North-Central area, especially in Benue State, during a phone interview.
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