Investigative reports suggest the death of Brigadier General Mohammed Uba, days after the Defence Headquarters dismissed rumours of his capture by ISWAP
Background on Brigadier General M. Uba
Brigadier General M. Uba was the Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, based in Damboa, Borno State—a frontline position in Nigeria’s long-running counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram and its splinter group, ISWAP. Damboa is a volatile area in the Sambisa Forest region, a known stronghold for ISWAP, which has intensified attacks on military convoys in recent months amid efforts to reclaim territory. Uba, an experienced officer, was leading routine patrols to secure supply routes and disrupt terrorist movements when the incident unfolded.
The Ambush: November 14, 2025
The tragedy began on Friday, November 14, 2025, around 5:00 PM, along the Burum-Kubua axis of the Damboa-Biu Road in Borno State’s Damboa Local Government Area. Uba was commanding a joint convoy of Nigerian Army troops and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a local vigilante group aiding military operations. The patrol was en route from Biu to Damboa, a routine mission to clear potential threats and escort supplies in an area plagued by ISWAP ambushes.
ISWAP fighters, lying in wait, launched a coordinated attack using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), small arms fire, and possibly rocket-propelled grenades. The assault caught the convoy in a “kill zone,” forcing it to halt amid intense gunfire. In the chaos:
Two Nigerian soldiers and two CJTF members were killed immediately, with several others wounded. Uba, positioned at the front of the convoy, engaged the attackers directly. According to military sources, he fought through the initial barrage, maneuvering his vehicle out of the trap and directing surviving troops to take cover in the adjacent dense Sambisa Forest—a vast, unforgiving expanse of woodland notorious for hiding insurgents.
As the dust settled, initial radio communications blacked out, leading to confusion. Ground reports from survivors and locals quickly spread rumors of Uba’s abduction, describing how ISWAP fighters dragged him from his vehicle amid the firefight. He sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the escape attempt, which slowed his movements.
Initial Escape and Army’s Denial: November 14-15
In a brief window of opportunity, Uba evaded immediate capture by slipping deeper into the forest on foot. From his concealed position, he used a satellite phone or WhatsApp to send a video message to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai (the military’s northeast counter-terrorism operation). In the clip—described by sources as calm but urgent—Uba confirmed he was alive, shared his GPS coordinates, and assured commanders he was “heading back to base” with a small group of disoriented troops. Rescue teams, including ground reinforcements and air assets (likely Nigerian Air Force drones or helicopters), were immediately dispatched to extract him.
By late evening on November 14, the Army’s initial assessment painted an optimistic picture: Uba had “successfully led his troops back to base.” On Saturday, November 15, the Nigerian Army issued an official statement via its Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Apollonius Anele, dismissing abduction rumors as “fake news” and urging the public to pray for troops’ success. The statement emphasized no high-value targets were lost, attributing the incident solely to an ambush with minor casualties. Social media pages amplified this, with some claiming Uba had walked miles back to Damboa unharmed.
However, this narrative unraveled quickly. Insiders told FIJ that the Army’s denial was “hasty,” based solely on the unverified video without on-ground confirmation. Uba never reached the rendezvous point. In the dense, booby-trapped Sambisa Forest—where visibility is near zero and ISWAP maintains hidden trails—he and his men lost orientation. Exhausted, injured, and low on supplies, they became vulnerable.
The turning point came from an abduction rumors proliferated online (despite the Army’s debunking), ISWAP’s intelligence networks—known for monitoring Nigerian platforms—picked up on Uba’s high-profile status. He became a “high-value target,” symbolizing a potential propaganda victory for the group, which has long sought to demoralize the military by targeting officers.
While attempting to link up with rescuers, Uba was recaptured by ISWAP fighters sometime between late November 15 and early November 16. The exact moment remains unclear due to the remote location, but sources indicate it occurred during a second sweep by the terrorists, who used the leaked rumors to track his likely path.
On Monday, November 17, 2025, ISWAP escalated the crisis by leaking a photograph of Uba in captivity. The image, verified by HumAngle through frame analysis, geolocation, and cross-checks with security experts, shows the general alive but battered: seated on the ground, surrounded by armed ISWAP militants in camouflage, with a visible leg wound and an expression of fatigue. The photo was timestamped shortly after the ambush, confirming his initial abduction during the firefight. (HumAngle and FIJ chose not to publish it out of respect for operational sensitivities and victim dignity.)
In the same leak, ISWAP claimed they executed Uba shortly after the photo was taken, framing it as retribution for military incursions into their territory. This marked Uba as the highest-ranking Nigerian officer killed or captured by ISWAP since the group’s formation in 2016.