Forgotten Dairies
The Death Of Brig-General Buraimoh And The Intracrable War Against Terror -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
The truth is that internal politics, corruption and lack of political will have impeded Nigeria’s ability to fight insurgency. That Nigerian army restored order in Benin republic after a military putsch but cannot fight armed terrorists within its territory shows that there is something very wrong internally. From the way the current war against terror is being prosecuted, victory is very far and uncertain. Protection of lives is one of the basic function of government.
Nigeria has gradually become a land that devour its inhabitants. Nigeria has become one of the worst unlivable places on the planet earth not just from economic hardship but from terrorism and armed banditry that claim the lives of citizens on daily basis. Villages have sacked and hundreds massacred and thousands of others displaced from their homes by the daredevil terrorists and bandits. Highways have become death traps as bandits waylay travelers and abduct many for ransom on daily basis. Nigeria has become the worst terrorized place on earth as terrorist control a huge swathe of the nation’s territory, impeding freedom of movement, stopping people from going to their farms and collecting taxes from conquered villages. According to the report by International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), within the first 96 days of this year over 1,402 people have been killed or abducted for ransom.
Killing and kidnapping of Nigerians has become a daily occurrence while the authorities appear helpless about it. And strangely, the citizens seem to have accepted this anomaly as fait accompli instead of challenging the authorities to perform their duty or quit. The terrorists have been so emboldened by the complicity of the authorities that they now openly raid and attack our military formations killing soldiers and carting away their weapons of war fare. In the last three years Nigeria has lost more military officers than it did during the three years of civil war between 1967 and 1970.
Media report has it that ISWAP intensified its attack in 2025 when it launched what it described as the “burning of the camps” or camp holocaust – a strategic campaign aimed at weakening the operational capacity of Nigerian security forces by targeting military positions. And the onslaught has led to the killing of more senior officers ever since. Before then there was the report of killing of Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkusu commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade in Chibok in an ambush by the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) in Askira Uba, Borno State in 2021.
And since 2025, it has been harvest of death for our senior military officers involved in the war against insurgency. First, it was Lt. Col. T.E Alari killed in January 2025 at Mallam-Fatori. And then Col. Aliyu Saidu Paiko, commander 202 battalion in Bama LGA killed along with his troops in October, 2025. Again, Brigadier-General Musa Uba, the commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade was killed in an ambush near Wajiroko in Borno State by the ISWAP in November 14, 2025. And this year alone about four senior officers have fallen in the line of duty. On March 1, terrorists also attacked a military formation in Mayenti Bama LGA killing Umar Ibrahim Mairiga the commanding officer and several other soldiers. And on March 6, 2026 during a multiple attack in the state, terrorists killed Lt. Col. S. I. Iliyasu, the commanding officer of the 222 Battalion. Also, on March 9, Lt. Col. Umar Farouq and some soldiers were killed when terrorists overran a military base in the Kukawa LGA of Bornu State. On April 9, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, the commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, Operation Hadin Kai, was killed by the terrorists in Benisheikh, Borno State.
The reports show that each passing day, the terrorists are gaining more grounds. They seem to be ahead of the Nigerian army in terms of planning and intelligence gathering. They seem to be more equipped with sophisticated weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs than our soldiers.
When Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, the Chief of Army Staff under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, and his team fought the insurgency with commitment many people mistake his commitment for an assault on the North. But today, we have seen the difference. Buhari came deceived Nigerians about defeating and downgrading Bokoharam whereas the reverse was the case. And under Tinubu, there is no visible evidence about fight against insurgency and terrorism despite humongous annual defense budget. Under Tinubu, insurgency has metastasized to every nook and cranny of the country.
The resurgence in the terrorism and armed banditry in Nigeria is the result of lack of commitment on the side of the government. The president is obviously distracted by how to remain in power rather than protecting has sworn on oath to protect. The excuse that the attacks are the result from the pressure from the Sahel Region is untenable. I do not agree with argument that the attackers come from across the neighboring countries. And if it is so, why don’t they attack our neighbors? And why haven’t the Nigerian government close its borders against the terrorists. Why has the Nigerian government not exploited the treaty signed with its neighbors concerning across border security?
There are immense opportunities within the West African sub region and the AU for cooperation to support peace operations, disaster response, and humanitarian logistics but the government of Tinubu seems distracted by internal politics. Nigeria has supported the development of a regional standby force for counter-terrorism and made financial commitments to the region. In August, 2024, Nigeria and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation to reinforce joint responses to security threats.
And there is the Multinational Joint Task Force, established by the Lake Chad Basin Commission and supported by the African Union to provide for coordinated military operations against terrorist groups across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Its operational design permits cross-border action under agreed command and rules of engagement.
The truth is that internal politics, corruption and lack of political will have impeded Nigeria’s ability to fight insurgency. That Nigerian army restored order in Benin republic after a military putsch but cannot fight armed terrorists within its territory shows that there is something very wrong internally. From the way the current war against terror is being prosecuted, victory is very far and uncertain. Protection of lives is one of the basic function of government. Any government that cannot meet this basic responsibility is not fit to be in power and should be changed. Nigeria the choice is yours to remain in darkness and insecurity or vote out incompetence and mediocrity.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK
