ISWAP Ambushes Nigerian Army Convoy, Allegedly Abducts Brigade Commander in Deadly Borno Attack

A major security scare has erupted in northeastern Nigeria after fighters believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) ambushed a Nigerian Army convoy, killing several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Investigative outlet HumAngle reported that the attackers also seized a serving Brigade Commander during the coordinated assault — a development that, if officially confirmed, would be unprecedented in Nigeria’s long war against extremist groups.

The ambush occurred along a remote route in Borno State, where ISWAP cells continue to mount increasingly sophisticated strikes despite years of counterterrorism operations. Sources familiar with the incident described the attackers as heavily armed and “tactically organised”, overwhelming the convoy and leaving chaos in their wake.

The Nigerian Army has not yet issued a formal statement on the reported abduction or the full extent of casualties.

The incident adds to rising fears across the region. Just days earlier, Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, raised alarm over renewed terrorist violence in his constituency. In a statement on Thursday, Ndume disclosed that four farmers were brutally killed by Boko Haram militants while tending to their fields in Kwam village near Dille, Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

He described the situation as “deeply worrisome”, calling on authorities to intensify operations to protect rural communities and frontline troops.

The latest attack is expected to heighten pressure on the Federal Government and military leadership as insecurity flares once again across parts of the North-East.