Boko Haram terrorists have killed a Forward Operations Base (FOB) commander, identified as Major IU Mairiga, three soldiers, and a local hunter during a coordinated night assault on a military position in Mayanti, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources confirmed that the deadly attack occurred on Sunday night, with the insurgents overwhelming the base despite stiff resistance from the unit commander.
“The unit commander gave the terrorists a good fight, but he was overwhelmed after some soldiers fled. He died a brave soldier and neutralised many of them before being overpowered,” one source said.
The source added that upon the arrival of reinforcements, troops recovered Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), anti-aircraft weapons, and PKT machine guns. Several insurgent corpses were also reportedly left at the scene. “If not for the withdrawal of some of his men, he would have successfully repelled the attack,” the source said.
Major Mairiga had been deployed to the FOB less than four months ago following a special promotion. During the assault, three civilians engaged in reconstruction work in the village were reportedly injured, while military vehicles and equipment at the base were set ablaze by the attackers.
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In a broader update, the Joint Task Force (North East) of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) said troops killed scores of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in failed attacks on Mayanti, Gajigana, and Gajiram communities between February 28 and March 1, 2026.
Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, confirmed that troops repelled coordinated assaults, recovering heavy weapons and ammunition. He said: “One officer paid the supreme price, while several terrorists were neutralised, and significant combat equipment was seized.”
Uba added that troops have sustained offensive operations across Sector II, destroying terrorist logistics structures, arresting two ISWAP logistics suppliers, and recovering arms, ammunition, and medical supplies.
He emphasized that all affected locations remain firmly under military control, and the scale of recoveries underscores the degrading combat capacity of insurgent elements.