Brigadier-General Goes Missing, Trekks Back to Base After Deadly ISWAP Ambush in Damboa
By Paul Ebi
In one of the most unsettling incidents yet in Nigeria’s ongoing counterinsurgency war, a Nigerian Army Brigadier-General temporarily went missing after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters launched a deadly ambush on a military–CJTF convoy near Sabon Gari in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The senior officer, who was part of the operation, was unaccounted for several hours before eventually trekking back to base alive — an escape security sources are describing as “miraculous.”
According to field reports, the convoy was heading toward Bongry when ISWAP militants, who had laid in wait along Biu Road, opened heavy fire on the troops. The attack left two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) dead, while several motorcycles were reportedly carted away by the assailants.
A CJTF operative in Nzula, close to the scene of the attack, confirmed the ambush, noting that the convoy consisted of a mix of army personnel and CJTF members. A Damboa resident familiar with the team’s movements added that the group, which departed around 2 p.m., included two Hilux vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, and several motorcycles.
“The terrorists killed two soldiers and two CJTF,” the resident said. “Reinforcement had to leave Damboa — two Hilux and two armoured vehicles — after the incident happened.”
But the most alarming part of the encounter was the disappearance of the Brigade Commander. A senior CJTF member in Damboa told reporters that no one initially knew the officer’s whereabouts, though he was responding to WhatsApp messages during the period he went missing.
Hours later, the Brigade Commander reappeared at the military base — arriving on foot. Sources suggest he narrowly escaped the ambush and wandered through rough terrain to avoid detection by insurgents.
This marks the first known instance since Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations began that a serving General, directly involved on the frontline, has gone missing, even briefly, during an attack. Security analysts say the incident underscores ISWAP’s increasing tactical sophistication and the growing risks faced by senior military officers deployed to high-threat zones.
Damboa and neighboring communities have endured repeated insurgent assaults in recent months, including ambushes on security patrols, attacks on rural roads, and raids on farming settlements. Residents say the latest attack reinforces concerns about persistent insecurity along major routes despite a sustained military presence.
As investigations continue, the ambush raises urgent questions about route security, intelligence gathering, and the evolving capabilities of ISWAP in one of the region’s most volatile corridors.
