By Professor Abdullahi Danladi The killing of Brigadier General Mohammed M. Uba by ISWAP terrorists on November 14, 2025, in Dam...
By Professor Abdullahi Danladi
The killing of Brigadier General Mohammed M. Uba by ISWAP terrorists on November 14, 2025, in Damboa, Borno State, stands as a frightening reminder that Nigeria has descended into a state where even its top military commanders are not safe. After his convoy was ambushed along the Damboa–Biu road, General Uba managed to escape into the forest and sent a desperate video message to his superiors, confirming he was alive and providing his exact location. But instead of being rescued, he was tracked down, captured like a helpless animal, and brutally executed by terrorists who outmaneuvered the very system meant to protect him.
This horrifying incident is a national humiliation and an indictment of government failure. How can a nation claim to defend its citizens when it cannot even defend a Brigadier General? How can it demand courage and sacrifice from soldiers whose welfare, equipment, and security are woefully neglected? Nigerian troops continue to fight with outdated weapons, insufficient support, and a morale crushed by years of government indifference. Meanwhile, authorities respond to each tragedy with nothing more than recycled condolence statements that have lost all meaning.
General Uba’s death forces Nigerians to ask disturbing questions: Why was he left vulnerable after calling for help? Why did his rescue delay long enough for terrorists to capture him? How did insurgents intercept or track his location? Who benefits from this perpetual conflict that continues to consume lives despite billions spent on defence? As long as invisible hands profit from insecurity, peace will remain elusive.
This tragedy must awaken the government from its dangerous complacency. Because if a Brigadier General, a senior symbol of national defence can be abandoned to die in this manner, what hope exists for ordinary Nigerians on the streets, in the villages, on the highways, or in their homes?
The blood of Brigadier General Mohammed M. Uba must not be dismissed with routine statements. It demands accountability, transparency, and urgent reform in the way Nigeria approaches national security. A government that cannot protect its protectors has lost its moral authority to govern. Nigerians deserve better and the fallen deserve justice.
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