Insurgents last killed a Nigerian Army general in 2021. Here’s what happened

The killing of Brigadier-General M. Uba marks one of the deadliest setbacks for the Nigerian military in years, and the first time since 2021 that a senior army officer has been slain by jihadist fighters in the northeast.

Before Gen. Uba’s capture and execution by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the Wajiroko–Damboa ambush, the last Nigerian general killed in combat was Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkusu, who died four years ago during a violent assault by the same militant faction.

What Happened in 2021

In November 2021, ISWAP fighters stormed Askira Uba in southern Borno, arriving with at least a dozen gun trucks. They torched homes, shops, and a school, sending residents fleeing as soldiers fought to repel the attack.

Gen. Zirkusu, then the commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade, had been deployed as reinforcement when his team ran into ISWAP fighters. A fierce engagement followed, and Zirkusu, along with three soldiers, was killed. The army at the time described him as a “gallant senior officer” whose death came during a counter-offensive against heavily armed militants.

Askira Uba sits along the fringes of the Sambisa Forest – the same operational environment where ISWAP and Boko Haram factions have fought the military for nearly two decades. That attack underscored ISWAP’s growing battlefield capability, coming just weeks after the death of two successive ISWAP leaders.

Why the 2025 Killing Is Significant

Gen. Uba’s death now becomes the second killing of a Nigerian general by jihadists in the last decade – and the first since Zirkusu’s death in 2021. Like the Askira attack, the ambush that led to Uba’s capture happened close to the Sambisa axis, along the Wajiroko–Damboa corridor.

Both incidents raised questions about intelligence failures and operational communication, with analysts already pointing to compromised channels that may have exposed Uba’s location.

Both died in ISWAP operations that combined ambush tactics with superior local knowledge.

Gen. Uba’s killing – coming after the army initially denied he was captured – adds a new layer of scrutiny over military communication and the insurgency’s persistent threat.

ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016 and pledged allegiance to Islamic State and has been fighting against the Nigerian armed forces.