Borno Raid, US Visa Halt Shake Nigeria
Nigeria’s security landscape suffered one of its most alarming blows in recent memory on Thursday when heavily armed insurgents overran a military base in Borno State, killing a brigadier general and at least 17 soldiers, a massacre that arrived simultaneously with a United States Embassy visa suspension and a stern travel warning that laid bare, in clinical terms, how the outside world now views the country’s stability.
Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and at least 17 soldiers were killed in the early hours of April 9, 2026, when suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province launched coordinated attacks on military formations in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area, as well as Ngamdu and Pulka town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to reports, the insurgents first launched coordinated attacks on communities in the Pulka and Bakin Ruwa areas in Gwoza at about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday before advancing toward Benisheikh, where the headquarters of the 29 Task Force Brigade is located. By midnight, the attackers had begun a full-scale assault on the military formation, engaging troops in a prolonged gun battle that lasted several hours.
Residents reported that insurgents attacked the base with sophisticated weapons, set combat vehicles ablaze, and burned shops near the military formation. One resident, Musa Aji, said, “They didn’t just burn military vehicles; shops that are by the roadside were also set on fire.”
The Chairman of Kaga Local Government Area, Zanna Ajimi, confirmed the brigade commander was among those killed. “Yes, we just left the military base now, and I can confirm to you that the brigade commander is among the casualties,” Ajimi told journalists.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November last year, making Braimah the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
The Defence Headquarters, in a statement by Director of Defence Media Operations Major General Michael Onoja, confirmed that troops responded with “exceptional courage, professionalism, and superior firepower,” forcing the attackers to retreat. The military, however, neither confirmed nor denied that the brigade commander was among the fallen, describing the attack as an act of “desperation” by insurgents who had suffered significant losses in recent operations.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the fallen soldiers as “unforgettable heroes.” He said, “The government will never forget their sacrifices, and they will not be in vain. Because of the courage and dedication of our troops, our resolve to defeat terrorism and all forms of violence across Nigeria is stronger than ever.” He also urged troops on the frontlines to remain resolute.
The Borno bloodshed was not the full width of the week’s violence. At least 90 people were killed by gunmen in several remote northern villages, according to an AFP tally of tolls from local, humanitarian, and church sources. Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi State that police blamed on a local jihadist group known as Mahmuda, affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Kebbi, which borders Benin and Niger, has seen a rising number of jihadist attacks since 2025. Separately, at least 60 people, including more than 40 security operatives, were reportedly killed in coordinated attacks on communities in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The carnage coincided with a stark signal from Washington. The United States Embassy in Abuja abruptly suspended visa appointments, directing affected applicants to await rescheduling instructions via email, while consular operations in Lagos continued uninterrupted. The suspension followed a U.S. Department of State travel advisory issued Wednesday urging American citizens to reconsider travel to Nigeria from April 8, citing crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and healthcare deficiencies.
Newly added to the Level 4, Do Not Travel list are Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba states, joining already-listed zones including Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and parts of Adamawa in the North. Several southern states, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers, excluding Port Harcourt, were also flagged due to widespread crime and civil unrest. The advisory further warned that violent crimes including armed robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping for ransom remain prevalent, with U.S. citizens frequently targeted.
The Federal Government moved swiftly to contain the optics. The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, in a statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant to Minister Mohammed Idris, described the U.S. advisory as a routine precaution. “While we acknowledge isolated security challenges in some areas, there is no general breakdown of law and order, and the vast majority of the country remains stable,” Idris said, adding that security agencies had disrupted criminal networks and reduced the activities of armed groups.
These reassurances found a less receptive audience in the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. His Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shuaibu, issued a statement on Thursday accusing President Tinubu of what he described as “absentee leadership.” Shuaibu alleged that Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State following recent terrorist attacks there was “shockingly brief and perfunctory,” with the president “spending barely ten minutes at the Jos Airport before departing.” He also claimed that during a two-day working visit to Lagos, the president failed to personally attend the commissioning of the Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge and the inauguration of a Multi-Agency Complex, with duties delegated to the Senate President. “At a time when Nigeria is grappling with worsening insecurity, rising terrorist attacks, and growing international concern, such indifference at the highest level of leadership is both alarming and indefensible,” Shuaibu stated.
The Presidency did not immediately respond to Atiku’s criticisms.
The Borno attack adds to a grim statistical pattern. Earlier in March, the Nigerian military lost at least three commanding officers heading forward operations bases in separate attacks within seven days in Borno State. Nigeria was also ranked the fourth most-affected country by terrorism in the Global Terrorism Index released on March 19 by the Institute for Economics and Peace, with a 46 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths recorded in 2025. The convergence of battlefield losses, widening travel restrictions, and intensifying political criticism signals that Nigeria’s security situation, far from improving, has moved firmly to the centre of national and international concern ahead of the 2027 general elections.