The ongoing fight against insurgency in Nigeria has claimed the lives of at least 35 soldiers in the past three weeks, highlighting the escalating challenges faced by the Nigerian military.
On Friday, rebel militants killed 20 soldiers during an operation in Borno State’s Abadam Local Government Area, according to military and local sources. Among the casualties was Lt. Col. T.E. Alari, the commanding officer of the 149 Battalion, based in Malam-Fatori, a known hotspot for terrorist activity.
The Nigerian Army has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident, but presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga expressed condolences to the bereaved families and the armed forces.
Earlier in January, two separate attacks also took the lives of soldiers. On January 16, nine troops were ambushed by Boko Haram fighters while returning from the Dumba region in the Lake Chad Basin. On January 6, six soldiers were killed, and vehicles were destroyed during an assault by suspected Boko Haram militants in Damboa, Borno State.
Security analyst Kazeem Olalekan has called for more comprehensive measures to address the insurgency’s root causes, stating, “These losses are tragic, and there’s a need to address the underlying conflicts driving these senseless killings.”
In addition to Boko Haram and other terrorism activities in the northeast, Nigeria’s northwest continues to grapple with widespread banditry and kidnappings. Official data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed that nearly 615,000 deaths were linked to insecurity between May 2023 and April 2024, underscoring the dire situation across the country.