Fresh insurgent attacks, rising military casualties and controversy over a recent airstrike in northeastern Nigeria have increased pressure on the federal government and raised concerns about the country’s security strategy.
Less than a week after suspected Boko Haram fighters killed several soldiers, including Brig. Gen. Oseni Omoh Braimah, the Nigerian Army reported new losses. A lieutenant colonel, I.A. Mohammed, and six soldiers were killed Sunday when troops of the 242 Battalion struck improvised explosive devices in Monguno, Borno state.
In a statement issued in Maiduguri, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, said troops came under fire before an army gun truck hit a planted explosive device. Mohammed later moved to assess the situation but encountered another device, which destroyed his vehicle and killed him and six others.
Uba described the officer’s actions as courageous and said his death underscored the risks faced by troops in the region. The military expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
The latest incident follows an April 9 attack in which Braimah died after insurgents launched a coordinated assault on a military base in Benisheikh, also in Borno state.
Amid growing insecurity, President Bola Tinubu convened an emergency meeting Monday in Abuja with top military commanders and intelligence chiefs. Attendees included National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and senior officials from the armed forces and security agencies.
The meeting comes after the United States issued a travel advisory citing a deteriorating security environment and authorizing the voluntary departure of nonessential embassy personnel and their families from Abuja. The advisory placed 23 Nigerian states under its highest risk category.
Nigeria’s government dismissed the advisory as routine, saying it does not reflect conditions across most of the country.
Tensions have also risen following a Nigerian Air Force airstrike Saturday near Jilli Market along the Borno–Yobe border. The military said it targeted insurgent positions, but local sources reported that more than 100 civilians may have been killed.
Government officials defended the operation, saying the area had been used by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters as a logistics hub and was therefore a legitimate military target.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized the strike, alleging civilian casualties, while presidential aides accused him of politicizing national security operations.
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan called for an independent investigation, saying the reported scale of casualties required transparency and accountability.
Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi urged improvements in military capacity, citing the need for modern equipment and better coordination to avoid similar incidents.
Sen. Ali Ndume also called for stronger action, urging the government and international community to intensify efforts to rescue abducted civilians and address the worsening insurgency.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said troops killed four insurgents and rescued three kidnapped people in separate operations in Borno state over the weekend.
