By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
The Nigerian Army has admitted that the Brigade Commander’s Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was temporarily immobilised during a fierce terrorist attack on troops in Benisheikh, Borno State, even as it strongly refuted claims that 17 soldiers, including the Brigade Commander, were killed in the incident.
In a statement issued on Friday, by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, the military described the circulating reports as “false, misleading and highly exaggerated.”
The statement said the verified casualty figure from the Defence Headquarters remains two officers and two soldiers who paid the supreme price during the engagement.
The army explained that the Brigade Commander was actively coordinating the counter-assault from his MRAP vehicle when it became temporarily immobilised in the heat of combat.
“This reflects the intensity of the engagement and the presence of leadership at the decisive point, not any equipment failure,” the statement noted.
Operation Hadin Kai also dismissed videos and pictures being shared on television stations and social media platforms as unrelated to the Benisheikh incident, accusing some elements of deliberately misrepresenting them to create panic and undermine public confidence in the military.
The statement emphasised that troops successfully repelled the attack, maintained control of their location, and forced the terrorists into a disorganised retreat. It described the failed assault as further evidence of the sustained pressure on terrorist elements and the growing combat effectiveness of troops in the North East Theatre.
The military warned against the distortion of operational facts for personal or political gains, stressing that such actions diminish the sacrifices and professionalism of officers and men who risk their lives daily in defence of the nation.
“ The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains professional and committed solely to their constitutional mandate,” the statement added.
The army urged members of the public to rely only on official channels for verified information on its operations and to refrain from spreading unverified content that could cause unnecessary panic.
The Benisheikh incident occurred when terrorists launched a surprise attack on a military location. While the military has maintained that the situation was quickly brought under control, the conflicting casualty figures and images circulating online have sparked widespread public concern and debate about the true state of security operations in the North East.
This latest clarification from Operation Hadin Kai comes amid growing scrutiny of military operations in the region, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to carry out sporadic attacks despite repeated claims of significant successes by the armed forces.
The military has consistently maintained that it remains the only credible source of information on its operations and has vowed to continue providing timely and accurate updates
through official channels.
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