No fewer than 17 soldiers were killed and 10 others injured while repelling attacks on communities and military operating bases in parts of Kaduna and Niger states.
Scores of bandits were also killed in the attacks, which occurred in the Kwanar Dutse, Mairiga, and Boka areas of Niger State, as well as Angwan Turai in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Since the start of the year, dozens of fortified military bases have come under attacks, with insurgents killing and injuring personnel.
In one of the latest incidents, bases in Rann, Gajiram, and Dikwa in Borno State were targeted on May 13, leaving at least four soldiers dead.
A day earlier, insurgents struck a military formation in Marte, also in Borno, with reports of casualties and some personnel still unaccounted for.
Former military generals called for urgent reforms and strategic overhauls in Nigeria’s security architecture to halt the increasing wave of attacks on military bases and installations across the country.
The bandits launched a simultaneous attacks assault on the forward operating bases in the affected areas in Kaduna and Niger states.
In response, troops from both land and air components engaged the attackers in several counter-offensives, resulting in the deaths of several bandits.
However, the Army confirmed that some of its personnel also paid the supreme price during the confrontations.
Confirming the incident in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, the Nigerian Army also disclosed that four soldiers sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment.
The statement read, “On June 24, 2025, forward operating bases in the general areas of Kwanar Dutse Mairiga and Boka, Niger State, and Aungwan Turai, Chikun LGA in Kaduna State, were attacked by bandits in a three-pronged attack. In response, land and air component troops launched several counter-attacks that eliminated scores of bandits in the encounters.
“Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles, while four wounded in action troops are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds. Additional updates later.”
Giving an update on the attacks, the service said troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Air Component of the Nigerian Air Force, successfully repelled a major terrorist incursion into Bangi community, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, on Tuesday.
According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, the operation was based on credible intelligence that led to troops intercepting about 300 armed bandits in the Kwanar Dutse Forest.
She noted that the terrorists were said to be attempting a night-time movement towards Kwatankoro Forest, possibly to launch coordinated attacks on nearby communities or escape the ongoing military offensive in Zamfara State.
Anele added that troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle lasting over three hours, disrupting their plans.
“Sequel to the ground engagement by the Nigerian Army troops, the Nigerian Air Force conducted precision airstrikes on the terrorists’ withdrawal routes, delivering accurate heavy bombardments on identified terrorists’ locations. Although the exact number of casualties could not be ascertained, multiple blood trails along their escape routes presumably indicate significant enemy losses. Further operation is ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the damage inflicted on the terrorists,” the statement said.
Sadly, she said the Army lost 17 soldiers in the confrontation, while 10 others sustained injuries.
Anele said, “Regrettably, seventeen brave and gallant soldiers paid the supreme price during the encounter, while ten others sustained varying degrees of injury. The wounded personnel have been evacuated to a military medical facility, where they are receiving treatment and are in stable condition.”
The Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security Mohammed Bello, who confirmed the killings to The PUNCH, said it was not in his place to give figures of casualties on both sides, adding that the appropriate authorities would make that known.
“As I am speaking with you now I’m just rushing back from Mokwa because of that distribution of checks that we did yesterday (Tuesday). I was supposed to be there today (Wednesday) but I have to come back.
“You know officially, I have to receive those reports and go through them. There are some that you don’t disclose immediately. The figure is something that is a little bit restricted since there were casualties on both sides.
“Since they had a face-to-face encounter with our men, they (bandits) also paid the price of what they are doing. The figures on this side and that side are difficult to let you know now. Once the official figures are out, the people that it is their responsibility to say it will say it,” he said.
Retired military officers, in separate interviews, attributed the continued attacks to intelligence lapses and lack of cooperation from the citizens.
Brig Gen George Edmin (retd.) lamented that the support the terrorists received from some citizens was fuelling insecurity and attacks on military bases.
He urged the citizens to see military’s asset and fight against insecurity as theirs.
Edmin said, “We have a problem. The worst enemy you can fight is the one within. Our people have not developed the sense of patriotism needed to see the military as their asset.
“For peanuts, some are willing to serve as informants to enemies of the state — and that’s deeply troubling. The National Orientation Agency has a significant role to play in sensitising the local populace.
“If the wall doesn’t crack, a lizard cannot get in. We must live with that reality.
Asked whether having a strong intelligence unit would help address the problem, he said, ‘’Well, all these things cost money.
“The system needs to wake up and realise that we are still lagging behind in some critical and necessary areas. It’s not just about planting men on the frontline — that alone is not enough. Surveillance is a core part of military operations, and ours is still poor.
“Additionally, the citizens themselves don’t see the fight as theirs. Many are willing to sell out — sometimes because they’re related to those on the other side, and sometimes because of poverty. For every little peanut, they rush to betray us.’”
A retired senior military officer, Brigadier General Bashir Adewinibi, identified improved intelligence gathering through technology and tighter border security as key solutions to the growing spate of attacks on military installations in the North-East.
He said the increasing sophistication and mobility of insurgents demanded a more proactive and technology-driven intelligence framework.
Adewinibi said, “The most effective tool available to us now is the use of technology in gathering intelligence.
“Technology provides precise, actionable intelligence. Once intelligence is gathered, it must be relayed promptly to the appropriate command headquarters. There must also be an immediate response based on the intelligence received. This is crucial because intelligence has a time limit — the information can quickly become outdated as these adversaries are constantly on the move.
“Intelligence must be properly collated and managed to ensure it leads to the right action. Particularly, we need intelligence machinery that can provide information on enemy location, movement, strength, communication, and routes. All of these are critical to enhancing operational effectiveness.
“Intelligence gathering plays a vital role in preventing such incidents. When intelligence is timely and accurate, potential attacks can be preempted or countered quickly.
“There must also be adequate preparation in anticipation of threats. Unfortunately, our borders remain porous. The Chief of Defence Staff once proposed fencing our borders, but some dismissed the idea. However, the reality is clear: cross-border banditry and terrorism are real and growing threats.
“Some of these attackers cross into our country, strike, and escape. We don’t know where they come from, who they are, or even what their true intentions are. Worse still, we don’t know who is financing them.This lack of control is dangerous. We must do something about it.”
On his part, Brig Gen Peter Aro (retd.) said the recent spate of attacks on Nigerian Army facilities in Borno State should not be mistaken for a collapse in military capability but seen as a stern warning against dangerous assumptions.
He said, “The recent wave of attacks on Nigerian Army facilities in Borno State is best understood not as a failure of strength, but as a warning against dangerous assumptions. Years of hard-won progress against Boko Haram had led some to believe the threat was behind us. That belief, however well-meaning, bred a measure of complacency, just as new threats were gathering momentum.”
He pointed to Niger Republic’s recent withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States as a critical development that has weakened border surveillance.
“A once-monitored border stretch quietly opened up, offering insurgents fresh routes for movement and resupply,” he added.
Also, he noted the role of local collaborators who, whether out of conviction or coercion, are aiding insurgents by leaking information, providing shelter, and helping them merge seamlessly into communities.
“Even more troubling is the role of local collaborators, some acting out of conviction, others out of fear, who leak information, offer shelter, and help insurgents blend into communities. But in spite of these challenges, the tide is clearly turning. In recent weeks, a string of well-executed operations has led to the neutralization of several high-ranking Boko Haram commanders and field amirs. These successes have disrupted enemy leadership and injected new energy into the frontlines. Morale is up, coordination has improved, and the resolve among troops is unmistakably firm. “
He highlighted a marked improvement in troop morale and coordination, crediting the armed forces for regaining initiative in a volatile theatre of operations.
Another retired military General who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, added, “When these bandits started how did they start? It is the military bases they started with. It was where they started. They are ending the way they started. Some things end up the way they start. And you know people of such ideology don’t give up so easily.
“Before, they were attacking banks to get money but they got alternative means of getting money, that’s why they left banks alone. Now, they can go to the farm and carry 1,000 cows and what you are looking for in the banks you can see it there.
“The next thing is weapons, if they are not coming in from their normal sources, they will look for alternative means of getting them.”
A security expert in Niger State, Abdullahi Jabi, told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the bandits were either looking for arms or trying to create an impression that the military was not invincible.
He said, “There might be two issues; one could be artificial to create an impression that our military is not what we think. Equally, they and the victims need more resources so that they can be in better positions position since they are poorly funded and not well taken care of.
“The other one may be the fact that the bandits know that their number is very negligible, so, they attack the military bases to degrade them, so, that they can have a field day to ensure that the farmers don’t go to the farm to produce. Once there is scarcity of food the more Nigerians will react and see how they can send the government packing.
“It may equally be the handiwork of politicians from northern Nigeria to make sure that they degrade the performance of the present administration so that people will hate them badly and they will lose the election. There are strategies that are in place that would warrant what is happening. Because there are no basis for it.
“And I find it difficult to understand that the country has no fighter jets, no drone, they have nothing like that what Iran is using to fight Israel and America now. That Nigeria cannot afford these with all the money that are at our disposal and resources. Our leadership is very wicked they should be assembled and put for summary execution since you don’t have the interest of the country at heart.
“Each one of them, each of the governors can afford those fighter jets, they can afford it comfortably without even looking back.”
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