How ISWAP Tracked, Captured and Executed Brigadier General Uba After Ambushing Military Convoy

• A coordinated ISWAP ambush on a Nigerian military convoy in Borno State led to the killing of several soldiers and the capture and execution of Brigadier General M. Uba, according to multiple security sources.

Fresh details have emerged on how Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters tracked, captured, and executed a senior Nigerian Army officer, Brigadier General M. Uba, following a deadly ambush on a military convoy along the Damboa–Biu axis in Borno State.

Multiple security sources confirmed that the attack occurred shortly after the Brigade Commander participated in a successful joint air–ground offensive targeting insurgents in the area.

Before his capture, the General had contacted his superiors to confirm that he was safe and regrouping with his team. However, investigators believe that this communication may have inadvertently exposed his location, enabling ISWAP fighters to intercept and track him.

The terrorists captured him alive and briefly interrogated him before executing him.

How the Ambush Unfolded

Hours earlier, ground forces led by Brigadier General Uba had advanced into the area, unaware that their route had been booby-trapped. The troops soon came under intense fire as ISWAP fighters launched a coordinated attack, overwhelming the convoy with superior numbers.

Amid the fierce gun battle, the commander ordered a tactical withdrawal and issued a distress call. Responding swiftly, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft diverted from ongoing missions to provide close air support, delivering targeted strikes that helped disperse the insurgents and extract the beleaguered troops, including the Brigade Commander and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

The Search and the Confusion

Following the ambush, senior military officers, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, arrived in Damboa to coordinate rescue efforts after reports indicated that the Brigade Commander and other personnel had been abducted.

Although the Army initially denied the abduction, multiple soldiers confirmed that Brigadier General Uba had not returned to base.

A senior source revealed that the officer managed to send his live location to colleagues:
“They traced it and found the spot, but there was no trace of him. It’s unclear if his phone died or was seized by the terrorists.”

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Another military source disclosed that the officer may have briefly accessed his phone under duress, noting that “he even made a video call to his dry cleaner but warned him not to talk.”

Troops dispatched to the location returned without success. One soldier who had been shot and abducted alongside the commander was freed, but the senior officer and two others remained missing until his death was later confirmed.

Aftermath and Military Response

In the wake of the tragedy, Brigadier General Mustapha has been appointed to lead the 26 Task Force Brigade in Damboa while leadership adjustments continue pending directives from Army Headquarters.

The fatal ambush formed part of a larger coordinated attack by ISWAP late Friday night, which left multiple soldiers and CJTF members dead and heightened tensions in the already volatile region.

The operation reflects a disturbing escalation in ISWAP’s battlefield tactics—one that combined surveillance, tracking, and coordinated ground assault to overpower a senior military commander and his troops.