Troops Nab Teen Suspect Over Borno Attack That Killed Army General

Troops Nab Teen Suspect Over Borno Attack That Killed Army General

A teenage suspect has been taken into custody by troops of Operation Hadin Kai over his alleged role in the deadly assault that led to the killing of a senior military officer and three soldiers in Borno State.

The suspect, identified as Tijjani, said to be about 15 years old, was arrested on Sunday at Ngamdu while reportedly on an errand to procure food items for members of his group.

Military sources linked the teenager to the attack that claimed the life of Brigadier-General Oseni Braimah, commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, who was killed alongside three other troops during an insurgent raid on a military formation last Thursday.

Braimah and his men were said to have come under heavy attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters at a base in the North-East, in one of the latest incidents highlighting the persistent security challenges in the region.

In a video circulating online, the teenage suspect, who spoke in Hausa, disclosed that he had taken part in previous operations in Benisheik and Ngamdu.

He claimed that his group operated from Jilli, where they regrouped after carrying out attacks. According to him, he had been sent out with a large sum of money to obtain supplies before his arrest.

“Before the attack, we came from Jilli and returned there afterwards. I was sent with N850,000 to get some logistics from Ngamdu, but I was intercepted by soldiers,” he said in the footage.

The suspect added that he left other members of the group behind in Jilli on Saturday but was unaware of subsequent developments involving them.

As of the time of filing this report, military authorities had yet to release an official statement confirming the arrest or providing further details on the operation.

The arrest comes amid ongoing efforts by security forces to curb insurgency in the North-East, where attacks on both military and civilian targets have persisted despite sustained offensives.