JUST IN: Boko Haram Ambush Kills Senior Nigerian Army Officers in Borno

Militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), ambushed a Nigerian Army convoy in Borno State on Friday, killing several soldiers, including two senior officers.

According to military sources, the commanding officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel A.S. Paiko, and the commanding officer of the 222 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel S.I. Iliyasu, were among those killed in the attack. The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. on October 17, 2025, as the convoy was heading to Kawuri town in Bama Local Government Area for a military operation against insurgents.

Reports indicate that the troops came under heavy fire from the militants, resulting in multiple casualties. Several soldiers were injured, while an unconfirmed number remain missing. A military source described the ambush as “a bloody encounter” that led to significant losses.

“There was intelligence that the terrorists were operating around a small village called Kawuri, so the commanders mobilised their men to confront them,” one source explained. “Unfortunately, they were ambushed on their way. Lieutenant Colonel Paiko was confirmed dead, and while Colonel Iliyasu was evacuated to a military hospital in Maiduguri, he is believed to have succumbed to his injuries.”

The attack is the latest in a series of deadly encounters between Nigerian troops and ISWAP fighters in the North-East. Despite repeated claims by the Nigerian military that the insurgency has been largely defeated, Boko Haram and its affiliates continue to launch ambushes and attacks, killing thousands and displacing millions across the region.