A newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel and six other Nigerian soldiers have been killed in a deadly ambush by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

The officer, identified simply as Mohammed, was reportedly leading a military team from Maiduguri to Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area when the convoy came under heavy attack on Monday, January 26, 2026. The assault was said to have involved the use of improvised explosives and intense gunfire.

Sources within the military disclosed that the fallen officer had only recently been promoted from the rank of Major and was commanding the troops on a surveillance mission following intelligence reports that insurgents were active in the area.

According to the sources, the unit was ambushed en route, resulting in the death of seven soldiers, including the commanding officer. Several others sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment, while an unspecified number of personnel remain unaccounted for.

The bodies of the deceased soldiers have been taken to the 7 Division Hospital in Maiduguri. It was further revealed that the attackers carted away the late commander’s mobile phone. Disturbingly, when senior military officers later attempted to reach him by calling the number, the call was reportedly answered by Boko Haram fighters.

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The attack highlights the persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s North-East, where Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have continued to launch deadly assaults on both military targets and civilian communities. The insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and forced millions from their homes over more than a decade of conflict.