Abuja, Nigeria — Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 25 Task Force Brigade have foiled an ambush by terrorists near Wajiroko in the Azir–Multe axis of Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, while returning from a routine patrol along the fringes of the Sambisa Forest.
The patrol, led by the Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. M. Uba, came under intense fire from insurgents on Thursday. According to a statement issued in Abuja by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Appolonia Anele, the troops — supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) — immediately responded with “superior firepower,” breaking through the ambush and forcing the attackers to withdraw in disarray.
Despite the successful breakout, the Army confirmed that two soldiers and two CJTF members were killed in the encounter. The High Command described the fallen personnel as heroes who paid the supreme price in active service to the nation and said condolences had been extended to their families and colleagues.
The incident triggered a wave of speculation on social media, with some platforms claiming Brig.-Gen. Uba had been abducted during the ambush. The Army has firmly dismissed those reports as fake news, stressing that the commander not only survived the attack but personally led his men back to base after the contact.
Lt.-Col. Anele urged the public to ignore unverified accounts of the incident and rely on official channels for updates from the frontlines, warning that misinformation can undermine morale and distort public understanding of ongoing operations in the North-East.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, praised the troops’ “uncommon bravery and resilience” in one of the country’s toughest theatres of conflict, saying their conduct underscores the daily risks borne by soldiers confronting Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) cells across Borno State. He reiterated the Army’s commitment to sustained offensive operations to protect vulnerable communities in Damboa and other high-risk corridors around Sambisa.
The Wajiroko incident is the latest in a series of clashes in the Damboa area, where security forces have repeatedly engaged insurgents targeting military formations and civilian settlements. Analysts say the ambush highlights both the persistent threat posed by ISWAP and the continued reliance on community-based forces like the CJTF to support conventional troops in difficult terrain.
