104 Nigerian Army Personnel Declared Missing Weeks After Boko Haram Attack on Borno Base — Report

According to a report by SaharaReporters, no fewer than 104 Nigerian Army personnel have been declared missing more than three weeks after a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Borno State.

The soldiers were attached to the 162 Battalion along the Mandara–Buratai Road, where insurgents launched an early morning assault on June 5.

There were earlier reports that the attack left at least eight soldiers dead and several others injured after heavily armed terrorists overran parts of the military position during heavy rainfall.

A military source in the report described how the attack unfolded.

"At the 162 Battalion on Mandara–Buratai Road, eight soldiers were killed in action. They attacked us at 4 a.m. today, Friday, when it was raining. They killed eight soldiers and beheaded them. Several others were injured during the attack," the source said.

More than three weeks after the incident, another source told SaharaReporters that 104 soldiers attached to the battalion before the attack remain unaccounted for.

 "This is the list of soldiers who deserted from the 162 Battalion along Biu Road. Boko Haram slaughtered a Major and seven other soldiers. That was early this month. This is the list of soldiers who cannot be accounted for after the attack. We cannot say whether they are dead or ran away. The Army is trying to hide it from Nigerians," the source alleged.

According to SaharaReporters, the Nigerian Army has since declared the missing personnel wanted for desertion.

The publication said a military signal, reportedly signed by Lieutenant Ndubuisi, stated that the soldiers left their place of deployment on June 5 following the Boko Haram/ISWAP attack and had not returned to duty.

 "The above-named soldier and 103 others absconded from their place of deployment to an unknown destination on June 5, 2026, with their personal weapons after the BHT/ISWAP attack on our location. In view of the foregoing, I am directed to respectfully affirm that the said soldiers have not reported back for duty and are hereby declared deserters with effect from that date. The deserter soldiers are listed in Annex A. Please acknowledge," the signal read.

The report added that Army formations across the country had been directed to apprehend any of the listed personnel found within their areas of responsibility and return them to military custody.

Sources quoted in the report confirmed that the bank accounts of the affected soldiers had been frozen.

The Nigerian Army has not publicly commented on the reported casualties, the number of missing personnel, or the authenticity of the leaked military signal.