Top general executed in Islamic State catch-and-kill
‘Irreparable damage’ to Nigerian army morale, says analyst.
Abdulrasheed Hammad in Abuja
Militants from Islamic State West Africa Province say they captured and executed Nigerian Brigadier General Musa Uba after ambushing a military convoy in Borno State.
According to local media reports, the attack happened last week near Wajiroko village as troops were transporting military equipment. The Islamic State offshoot claimed responsibility for the ambush through its Amaq propaganda channel. The group said it had executed the brigade commander after interrogating him.
Nigeria’s army initially denied the claim, calling reports of Uba’s capture “fake narratives”. Spokesperson Onyechi Anele dismissed the abduction report, insisting the brigadier general had led his men through the ambush “with superior firepower”.
President Bola Tinubu has since confirmed the incident, sending his condolences to the military and praising the fallen soldiers and Uba for “paying the ultimate price” while defending the country.
The killing of a senior Nigerian army officer marks a new and troubling phase in the 16-year conflict against insurgents in the region. Uba, the commander of Task Force Brigade 25, is the highest-ranking officer the group is known to have captured and executed.
Until now, the group’s operations have largely focused on ambushes, raids on remote bases, attacks on military convoys, and assaults targeting lower-ranking personnel. These actions aimed to disrupt military logistics and seize weapons but they stopped short of directly targeting top command figures.
Security expert Timothy Avele told The Continent the capture and killing of Uba has done “irreparable damage” to the military’s morale, adding that the incident has also affected public confidence.
In Avele’s view, the military high command “has to initiate a new engagement strategy immediately”.