B/Haram deadly counter-assault: Army narrates pathetic story of  how Gen Braimah was killed in Benisheikh

•Says his high-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was temporarily  immobilized

•Classmates, others mourn ‘the Chief of Army Staff that never was’

By Ndahi Marama & Matilda Ikediobi

Nigeria is once again in mourning following the death of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who was killed in a Boko Haram attack in Borno State alongside other soldiers under his command during ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the North-East. This time, the loss appears to cut deeper.

His death is not just another battlefield statistic, but a painful symbol of the lives continually lost in a war that shows no clear end.

He was the Commander of 29 Task Force Brigade, Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway.

Military authorities confirmed that some casualties were recorded during a fierce engagement with insurgents who launched an attack on a military formation in the early hours of the operation.

Multiple defence sources described the incident as a coordinated assault that escalated into a prolonged firefight before the attackers were eventually repelled.

 ‘How Commander was killed during battle’

The army captured the last moments of the slain commander, saying contrary to reports that Braimah’s vehicle was unserviceable, he “was mounted on a high-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, which was temporarily immobilised in the heat of combat while he was actively coordinating the counter-assault”.

A statement by the Media Information Officer at the Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, Sani Uba,  said reports alleging that 17 soldiers, including the Brigade Commander, died in the incident were inaccurate.

Uba did not disclose the identities of the officers and soldiers killed in the attack but said the information that 17 personnel died is “entirely false, misleading, and devoid of credibility.”

He insisted that the official account, earlier released by Defence Headquarters, confirmed that only two officers and two soldiers were killed in the attack.

The statement said: “These narratives, often amplified with unrelated pictures and videos, are not only inaccurate but constitute a deliberate attempt to distort facts, undermine ongoing military operations and erode public confidence.

“OPHK categorically refutes the claim that 17 soldiers, including a Brigade Commander, lost their lives during the incident.

”The official and verified report, as earlier released through Defence Headquarters, clearly stated that 2 officers and 2 soldiers paid the supreme price in the course of the engagement. Any contrary figure being circulated is entirely false, misleading, and devoid of credibility.

“The insinuation that the Brigade Commander’s vehicle was unserviceable is equally incorrect. The Commander was mounted on a high-grade Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, which was temporarily immobilised in the heat of combat while he was actively coordinating the counter-assault.

“This reflects the intensity of the engagement and the presence of leadership at the decisive point, not any equipment failure.”

The army spokesperson added that images and videos circulating online in relation to the incident are not from the Benisheikh attack and are being deliberately misrepresented to support false claims.

The killing of Brigadier General Braimah marked a rare but deeply significant loss of a senior officer in active combat and comes just months after another General and other top officers were reportedly killed in similar circumstances in the same theatre of operations.

Certainly, the development has renewed attention on the evolving risks faced by senior commanders in Nigeria’s long-running war against insurgency.

 High-ranking loss

 The Nigerian military has for years led operations against Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in the North-East, particularly in Borno State, the epicentre of the insurgency.

While the groups have suffered territorial losses over the years, they continue to carry out deadly ambushes, raids on rural communities, and attacks on military positions, often targeting remote formations and exploiting difficult terrain and limited mobility in certain areas.

In recent months, security analysts and military observers have noted an increase in coordinated attacks on forward bases, with insurgents demonstrating continued capacity for organised assaults despite sustained military pressure.

Attack

 According to security sources familiar with the operation, the formation where Brigadier General Braimah was stationed came under attack from multiple directions, suggesting prior planning and coordination by the attackers.

The engagement reportedly involved a heavy exchange of fire lasting several hours, with troops resisting the assault and eventually forcing the attackers to withdraw. However, casualties were recorded on the military side, including the senior officer.

Authorities said two officers and two soldiers were killed in the attack.

Commander

 Within military circles, General Braimah was described as a field-focused officer who maintained close contact with troops under his command.

Senior colleagues and defence insiders said he was part of a leadership culture within the Nigerian Army that prioritises forward presence in active theatres, a practice often intended to boost morale and improve operational coordination in high-risk environments.

Officers who served with him described him as professional, disciplined, and deeply engaged in operational planning and execution.

Though official biographies and service records have not been fully released at the time of reporting, some of his classmates at Command Secondary School Kaduna gave insight into the kind of person he was.

In a glowing tribute, Usman A. Usman said General Braimah was the parade commander when the late President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in, noting that he carried out his duty diligently.

He said:”We were young, vibrant and ambitious. Command Secondary School Kaduna was the tryst. We were mates. We were both in Octopus House and we shared lockers at a point in Hostel A. Braimah Oseni Omoh was a fine, sharp, disciplined and courageous guy.

He had a confident demeanour and was of outstanding character. Even as a student and a house captain, you could see that only time would reveal his greatness. He, along with his identical twin brother Alasa Braimah, was of outstanding character. You could hardly tell one from the other. They were so identical that El Abu, one of the famous teachers in the school, was once quoted as saying upon sighting one twin somewhere and another elsewhere in the school premises: ‘I saw you there, I saw you here, are you twice?’