In a deeply alarming development, Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have claimed they killed Brigadier-General M. Uba, commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, after allegedly intercepting and tracking his location along the Damboa–Biu axis in Borno State.
According to multiple security sources cited by Sahara Reporters, the general had recently led a joint air–ground offensive and was regrouping with his troops when his communications inadvertently exposed his position. The report says he was captured alive, briefly interrogated by the insurgents, and then summarily executed.
The incident reportedly began with a coordinated ISWAP ambush late Friday, which killed two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF). Following the ambush, the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj-Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar, and other senior officers rushed to Damboa to coordinate a rescue.
Security sources claim Brig-Gen Uba managed to send his live location via his phone, but when troops moved in, they found no trace of him. One account says Uba later made a distress video call, but his captors may have seized his device, ending further communication.
In the wake of his reported killing, a replacement — Brig-Gen Mustapha — has been appointed as acting commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade.
ISWAP’s version of events sharply contradicts the Nigerian Army’s statement earlier this week, in which the military denied any abduction and claimed Uba “fought through” the assault, returning to base after the firefight.
The conflicting narratives underscore the high risk and uncertainty facing military leadership in Nigeria’s northeast, where insurgent groups like ISWAP remain capable of mounting sophisticated, high-profile attacks.