Fresh accounts have emerged on the circumstances surrounding the killing of the Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, following a deadly midnight assault on a military base in Benisheikh, Borno State.
Surviving soldiers described the incident as one of the most intense attacks in recent months.
While the Nigerian Army insisted that the attack was successfully repelled and dismissed claims of heavy casualties and equipment failure, accounts from soldiers and residents painted the picture of a coordinated insurgent offensive that overwhelmed troops, leaving significant destruction in its wake.
The attack, which occurred around 12.30am on Thursday, was carried out by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters, who launched simultaneous assaults on multiple military positions in Benisheikh, a strategic town in Kaga Local Government Area along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, the insurgents advanced in large numbers, attacking at least three military formations before pushing into civilian areas.
A soldier who survived the attack but requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, described the scale and coordination as unprecedented.
“We are used to coordinated attacks, but this was different. They came in large numbers from different directions at the same time. It felt like they had studied our positions for weeks,” he said.
Another survivor admitted that the attackers had a numerical advantage, which affected the outcome of the engagement.
“We stood our ground at first, but they were too many. They attacked from different angles. It was like an ambush,” he said.
According to him, the troops morale began to drop as rumours spread that other locations had fallen and some soldiers killed.
“When we started hearing that our colleagues in other locations had been overrun, it shook us. Then someone shouted that the Brigade Commander was dead. That was when fear fully set in,” he added.
The confusion and psychological impact of the attack, sources said, contributed to a breakdown in coordination among troops, forcing some to retreat towards the town.
The gun battle lasted over one hour and 30 minutes, with multiple explosions forcing both military personnel and civilians to flee for safety.
Braimah’s death
In the aftermath of the attack, claims emerged that Brigadier General Braimah was killed due to a malfunctioning Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.
However, military sources and individuals familiar with the late general disputed this.
A highly placed source within the brigade described the claim as misleading.
“The insurgents actually set the MRAP on fire during the attack. Saying he died because the vehicle didn’t start is not accurate. The situation was far more complex,” the source said.
Another insider suggested that only those who were with the general at the exact moment of the attack could provide a definitive account, noting that many of them also died in the encounter.
“I am aware that the insurgents closed in from various angles at the same time. It was like an ambush plan. But when the gun battle became intense, the terrorist formation scattered. What helped them was their numbers; there were too many of them,” the source added.
Corroborating the account, a former frontline driver to the late general, who identified himself simply as Blacky, noted that Braimah’s attitude towards vehicle maintenance was exemplary.
“If you talk about maintenance, General Braimah doesn’t play with repairs. Ask anyone under the 29 Task Force,” he said.
Recounting his experience working with the late general, he said, “I was General Braimah’s driver. One day, he asked me, ‘Blacky, have you not spent two years already?’ I told him I had done four years and six months. He was shocked and asked why I had not applied for rotation. That was how he put my name forward. It is not up to one week that I left the North-East.”
“If you met him with a complaint about money, pass, or anything, he would listen. I am not covering him because I was his former driver. What I am saying is fact,” he added.
However, another source within the formation pointed to possible systemic lapses, alleging weaknesses in vehicle maintenance culture within the unit.
“If there was any failure, attention should go to those responsible for maintaining operational vehicles. There have been complaints before,” the source claimed.
