By AKANIMO SAMPSON
The killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba, Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade in Borno State, by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has stirred deep concern within security circles in Akwa Ibom State, where senior officers describe the incident as a major blow to military morale and Nigeria’s counter-insurgency campaign.
General Uba, who was captured during an ambush last Friday, was executed by the terrorist group, according to a statement released on ISWAP’s Amaq propaganda channel. His convoy had been returning from a patrol near Wajiroko when insurgents opened sustained fire, overwhelming the troops. The general, known for leading operations from the front, had survived a similar ambush in the same area months earlier.
A retired senior army officer in Uyo said the killing of such a high-ranking commander could erode the cohesion of front-line units already stretched by years of attrition. “This is the kind of loss that shakes an entire formation,” he said. “Terrorists deliberately target senior officers to project fear and demonstrate operational reach. The death of someone with General Uba’s experience and institutional memory is not easily replaced.”
The officer added that the incident risks rattling public confidence in the federal government’s ability to protect citizens and secure conflict zones. “The killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba can undermine confidence in the Tinubu administration’s capacity to guarantee security,” he said.
Borno remains the epicenter of Nigeria’s 16-year war against Boko Haram and its ISWAP offshoot. Despite repeated military operations, insurgents have overrun multiple bases this year, retreating only after reinforcements arrive. The recent surge in attacks including the ambush that claimed General Uba’s life has revived questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy and the safety of soldiers deployed in some of the country’s most unstable terrain.
The gravity of the incident reverberated beyond security circles. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, issued an unusually sharp rebuke of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the nation’s security architecture. Describing the killing as “one death too many,” Atiku accused the administration of being preoccupied with weakening opposition parties while insurgents grow more emboldened.
“This development is unequivocally a failure of political leadership,” Atiku said in a statement. “The security of the lives of the people is the President’s primary responsibility. He must live up to it or be humble enough to admit incompetence and either ask for help or resign.”
He faulted the military hierarchy for issuing initial denials and failing to provide a clear, timely account of what transpired. Atiku added that if he were president, he would order the military to occupy any state under siege until insurgents were neutralized. “We must care enough for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our sake,” he said.
As condolences poured in for the slain general and his fallen soldiers, security analysts warned that the attack illustrates ISWAP’s renewed aggression and its intent to escalate the conflict in Nigeria’s northeast. For many in Uyo and across the country, General Uba’s killing symbolizes both the bravery of Nigeria’s troops and the steep challenges the military continues to face.
Atiku concluded his statement with a somber appeal: “May this dark period pass over us as a nation, sooner than later. This season shall pass away.
