By Muhammed Akindele
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep shock and sadness over the reported killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, calling the incident a major security failure and a sign of terrorist resurgence in the country.
Atiku’s reaction came in the middle of the conflicting accounts from the Nigerian military and claims by ISWAP that the senior officer was killed after being ambushed along Damboa Road in Borno State.
ISWAP fighters on Friday, ambushed a military convoy transporting equipment along Wajiroko–Damboa Road, triggering a fierce gunfight between the terrorists, soldiers, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
According to reports, the insurgents seized at least 17 military motorcycles during the attack. Two CJTF operatives and two soldiers were confirmed dead at the scene.
Initial claims suggested that Brig.-Gen. Uba, the commanding officer in the operation, had been abducted. However, on Saturday, Army spokesperson Onyema Anele dismissed the reports, insisting that the general survived the ambush and led his troops back to base. A video later surfaced showing Uba saying he was “alive and unhurt.”
But Reuters on Sunday reported that ISWAP, in a statement released through its Amaq propaganda outlet, claimed it had captured and executed the brigadier general — directly contradicting the army’s earlier denial.
In a statement posted on his official social media page, Atiku described the development as “extremely shocking and disturbing,” accusing President Bola Tinubu of prioritising political battles over national security.
“This for me is unequivocally a failure of political leadership,” Atiku said. “The President seems only more interested in decimating the opposition, while forgetting his crucial role as Commander-in-Chief.”
He described the death of the senior officer and the troops as “one death too many,” warning that the development signals a bold terrorist resurgence the country cannot afford.
Atiku urged the military and citizens to remain strong, adding that the President must urgently take responsibility or “be humble enough to admit incompetence and either ask for help or resign.”
The former vice-president also proposed a more forceful military response.
“If I were President, I would order the military to occupy Borno State or any state under siege until those areas are cleared,” he said.
Atiku criticised the military hierarchy for failing to provide a clear account of the incident, especially after initial statements suggested the general was not harmed.
“The failure of the military to explain what happened or what went wrong, after official denials, is troubling,” he said.
He however, extended condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the family of Brig.-Gen. Uba, and the families of the troops killed in the ambush.
“May this dark period pass over us as a nation,” he added.
