Tragedy in Borno: Colonel, seven soldiers die in fresh Boko Haram attack

The Nigerian military’s campaign against insurgency in the Northeast has suffered another devastating blow following the death of Colonel I.A. Mohammed, the Commanding Officer of the 242 Battalion, Monguno.

The Colonel and seven of his men were killed by a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during a reinforcement mission late Sunday night, marking a grim week for the top brass of Operation Hadin Kai.

The tragedy unfolded as Colonel Mohammed responded to a distress call from a Forward Operating Base (FOB) under a “coordinated assault” by suspected terrorists.

While the initial attack was successfully repelled by frontline troops, the commanding officer’s vehicle struck the buried explosive while he was en route to assess the tactical situation and boost the morale of his personnel.

Military authorities have praised Colonel Mohammed’s “selfless service,” noting that he was killed while demonstrating the highest traditions of military leadership.

Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North East), confirmed to Daily Trust that the incident occurred in the late hours of April 12.

“The Commanding Officer, while courageously proceeding to the troops’ location to personally assess the situation, encountered an IED which severely affected his vehicle, leading to his death alongside six other gallant personnel,” Uba stated.

The military maintained that the “Tango” terrorist attack on the specific location, designated Charlie 13, was successfully neutralized before the Colonel arrived, but that the lingering threat of buried explosives proved fatal.

The loss of Colonel Mohammed comes as a staggering second hit to the Nigerian Army’s command structure in Borno State within just 72 hours.

On Friday, the Brigade Commander of the 29 Task Force, Brigadier General Oseini Braimah, was killed alongside 17 soldiers during a fierce encounter in Benisheikh.