Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has ordered troops fighting the insurgency in the north-east to abandon defensive postures and sustain relentless offensive pressure on terrorist groups, while firmly denying reports that over 40 soldiers were killed, following a series of devastating attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters across multiple bases in Borno State.
On March 4, troops stationed in Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area came under heavy attack when terrorists overran the base and burnt operational equipment. The attack led to the death of several civilians and the abduction of over 300 residents. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, confirmed that more than 100 residents were missing or abducted during the attack, while thousands of civilians — mostly women and children — were displaced and took refuge in Pulka community.
A simultaneous assault was launched on Pulka base, killing five soldiers including a commanding officer. Further attacks followed in subsequent days, with ISWAP striking military locations in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana, Delwa, Goniri, Kukawa and a troops’ harbour position deep in the Sambisa Forest between the nights of March 8 and 9.
President Bola Tinubu mourned the innocent lives lost, including military personnel, and condemned the assault as a “heartless” act targeting hapless citizens, issuing a stern directive to the armed forces to intensify operations against the terrorists.
In the aftermath of the attacks, reports circulated widely on social media and in some publications claiming that more than 40 soldiers had been killed in Ngoshe alone — a claim the military moved swiftly to rebut.
Lieutenant General Shaibu flatly denied the figures during his visit to Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, saying: “The Sahara Reporters’ claim of 40 soldiers killed in Ngoshe is false,” and noting that the report relied on what he described as “unverified sources from other security agencies in the state.” During a three-hour closed-door meeting at the Theatre Command and Control Centre, it was confirmed that only a few soldiers, along with their commanding officer, lost their lives defending the border community with Cameroon.
Shaibu emphasised that troops had not been overrun as claimed: “Our troops were not overrun, as falsely reported. They engaged terrorists from multiple fronts to protect civilians and restore normalcy,” he said, adding that over 50 terrorists were neutralised during the counter-operations.
The Joint Task Force spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba also confirmed that the attacks were carried out by remnants of Boko Haram fighters who had earlier been dislodged from the Sambisa Forest, and who regrouped to launch coordinated night assaults on communities and military positions around Konduga, Ngoshe, Mainok and Jakana. He said troops responded and repelled the insurgents, adding that several terrorists were killed during the confrontations.
Independent security analysts and some media organisations, however, reported significantly higher casualty figures, with sources citing ongoing burials of soldiers at military facilities. The true scale of losses remains disputed, with the military maintaining its position that casualty figures in circulation are grossly exaggerated.
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Shaibu’s visit to the theatre of operations served not only to deny the casualty reports but to rally the troops and set a new operational tone. He condemned what he described as distorted media accounts, highlighted the bravery of troops who also defended Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and other nearby communities, and directed the reinforcement of troops and deployment of additional equipment to sustain operations against the insurgents. Addressing the forces directly, he issued a firm directive: “The days of remaining in defensive positions are over.”
Shaibu was appointed Nigeria’s 25th Chief of Army Staff by President Bola Tinubu on October 24, 2025, having previously served as General Officer Commanding, 7 Division, and Commander, Sector 1 of Operation Hadin Kai — giving him deep operational familiarity with the north-east theatre.
The week of March 3–9 proved one of the bloodiest in recent memory for the Nigerian military in the north-east, with confirmed deaths including Lieutenant Colonel SI Iliyasu at the 222 Battalion in Konduga on March 6, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq at the Kukawa base on March 9, Major Segun Amusan, Major Ibrahim Mairiga, and Lieutenant Ejeh — all killed at various forward operating bases across Borno State within the same seven-day period.
The counter-insurgency effort has been boosted by an expanding US military presence. An advance team of American soldiers arrived in Nigeria on February 3, 2026, to train and advise Nigerian forces, followed by an additional 100 troops on February 16. The American forces operate under Nigerian military command and will not take a direct combat role. Their deployment follows US airstrikes on Christmas Day 2025, which destroyed two prominent Islamic State compounds in Sokoto State, killing an estimated 155 to 200 fighters.
Borno remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people. The latest wave of attacks underscores the persistent and evolving threat despite years of military operations — and the gap between official narratives and ground-level realities that continues to define Nigeria’s long-running battle against insurgency.