Boko Haram/ISWAP Ambush in Gwoza, Borno State Kills One CJTF Operative as Security Forces Respond

A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Hamman Ibrahim, 40, was killed in a suspected ambush by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters along Warave–Bayan Dutse Road in Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, on January 5, 2026. The attack occurred during a routine patrol of CJTF members and local hunters in an area that remains volatile despite ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
Following the ambush, troops from Operation HADIN KAI, alongside police officers and CJTF members, responded to the scene. Ibrahim was evacuated to the General Hospital in Gwoza, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body was released to his family for burial according to Islamic rites.
The incident highlights persistent security challenges in southern Borno, where local vigilantes and CJTF members continue to play a crucial role in supporting military operations against insurgent groups. Authorities continue investigations into the ambush to prevent future attacks.

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Obasanjo Says Boko Haram War Endures Because Insecurity Has Become an Industry

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asserted that Nigeria’s 15-year battle against Boko Haram has persisted because insecurity has become a lucrative “industry” benefiting actors within and outside government. Speaking during the Toyin Falola Interviews, Obasanjo criticised the country’s failure to apply a modern counterinsurgency strategy built on training, intelligence, technology, and specialised equipment. He revealed instances of internal sabotage, lack of trust from foreign partners, and missed negotiation opportunities—such as a 2011 ceasefire offer the government failed to pursue. Despite trillions spent on defence, insurgency, banditry, and mass abductions continue to ravage the North, worsening Nigeria’s security crisis.

JUST IN: NAF airstrike foils attack on Borno community by terrorists.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched a precision air assault that foiled an attempted terrorist attack on troops stationed in Rann, Borno state.

The operation, conducted in the early hours of August 8, 2025, was carried out under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), the military’s counterinsurgency campaign in the north-east.

Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, said the air component of OPHK acted on credible intelligence indicating a planned assault by insurgents.

He said NAF deployed Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Air Interdiction (AI) missions to track and engage the fleeing insurgents.

He stated: “After establishing contact with ground troops, clusters of the terrorists were identified and engaged with precision munitions.

“The swift and decisive action neutralised several insurgents and restored calm to the area.”

Ejodame said the operation highlighted the NAF’s commitment to providing close air support to troops, securing military positions, and neutralising emerging threats.

He added that the success of the mission was a testament to the synergy between air and ground forces under OPHK.

Security: CDS Launches Student Group to Tackle Violent Extremism

Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has inaugurated a student-led initiative—Students Against Violent Extremism (SAVE 1 & 2)—aimed at combating extremist ideologies in Nigeria's North-East through non-violent means.

At a multi-sector conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, General Musa urged youths to act as “non-combatant soldiers” by sharing intelligence with the military and using social media to counter terrorism narratives. The event also featured the launch of his book, Taking A Stand Against Insurgency and Terrorism.

The SAVE project, targeting students and youths in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States, forms part of the military’s non-kinetic strategy to defeat insurgency. General Musa stressed early engagement of young people in peacebuilding efforts and acknowledged the role of stakeholders in recent counterinsurgency gains.

He also visited wounded soldiers at Maimalari Military Hospital, where a philanthropist pledged to donate houses for injured troops.