By Pascal Ibe

Introduction

In the last 17 years, no one, not even the top military officials in the Nigerian Armed Forces or those who retired, has been spared from the killings by these terrorists in northern Nigeria.

The year 2025  recorded one of the highest numbers of deaths of people from Nigeria’s North-Central region, with many of the deceased being Christians.

From Benue State to Plateau and then Kwara, the attacks on rural communities remained unending which led to widespread outrage and condemnation by foreign powers, especially the US.

In November last year, US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a label for countries that are perceived as violators of religious freedom.

Trump threatened to go “guns ablazing ” into Nigeria to take out the “Radical Islamic terrorists” whom he said are responsible for the killings of Christians.

The US president also threatened to cut the country’s funding to Nigeria if nothing is done by the government.

However, much discussion between the Nigerian government and the US led to the idea of joint military operations by both countries.

To help the Nigerian military go after the terrorists, the US proposed to send weapons, train and provide military intelligence to Nigeria.

The country also sent over 200 troops to Nigeria for ground military action in December 2025.

Meanwhile, insecurity in Nigeria, which continues to escalate every day, has claimed many top military chiefs at the battle front or the retired ones who are usually abducted before being killed.

The latest incident of this was the death of the former army spokesperson, General Rabe Abubakar, who was abducted a few weeks ago, alongside his wife.

Claim

Reacting to the death of General Rabe and the deteriorating insecurity in Nigeria at the moment, an X user, @GodstimeAtas, claimed that Nigeria was not losing its top military Generals until the United States military entered.

Quoting a post on the X platform, the user wrote, “We weren’t losing our top military Generals until the United States military entered our land.

The post generated mixed comments, with some people disputing the claim, stating that military top officials have also been the victims of the terrorists over the years while others believed that the claim was true.

Verification

However, FACTWATCH Nigeria found reports which confirmed that many top military officials have been gunned down since 2015, even before the US military operations started last year.

The profiles of high-ranking military officers who have lost their lives since 2015 are not exhaustive, as some incidents might be unreported or undisclosed by the military. 

For instance, Dzarma Zirkusu, a brigadier general and commander of the 28 Task Force Brigade in Chibok, was killed in November 2021. He died alongside other soldiers in an ISWAP ambush in Askira Uba, Borno State.

The Nigerian Army said troops killed several attackers and recovered weapons while repelling the assault.

Musa Uba, a brigadier general, was killed near Wajiroko in Borno State in November 2025 after ISWAP fighters ambushed troops along the Damboa–Wajiroko road. 

At least 17 military motorcycles were reportedly seized by the insurgents. Uba was initially declared missing, with the army saying he had returned to base. 

However, ISWAP later released a video showing him in captivity, after which he was killed.

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), was killed in 2018 while returning to his farm on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway.

K. Yusuf, a lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of the 223 Tank Battalion, along with 15 soldiers, was declared missing in action on October 16, 2016, after Boko Haram fighters dislodged them from their station in Gashiga, Borno state.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole later conducted clearance operations in January 2017 and recovered the bodies of the military personnel at Asaga village along the Kamadugou River line in Borno, following the dislodgement of Boko Haram terrorists in the area.

Muhammad Abu Ali, a lieutenant colonel, was killed by Boko Haram on November 4, 2016, in Mallam Fatori, Borno state, a year after his promotion from major.

He commanded the 272 Tank Battalion and was known for his bravery in battle. During an insurgent attack on a forward base, he was killed in a firefight after stepping out of his tank to assess the situation.

Before his death, he served in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). He also received an accelerated promotion and a gallantry award in September 2015 from Tukur Buratai, then Chief of Army Staff.

In November 2016, B. U. Umar, a lieutenant colonel, and soldiers of his 114 Task Force Battalion were ambushed by Boko Haram fighters after an initial bomb explosion.

The troops, who were on patrol towards Mubi in Adamawa State, encountered an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Bitta–Pirang Road and were subsequently ambushed by terrorists.

Although the troops had successfully repelled the ambush after a gun battle, Umar lost his life at the scene.

Read a comprehensive list of top military officials killed in the last 10 years here.

Verdict

This claim is FALSE. Findings showed that reports confirmed that a few generals and other high-ranking military officials were murdered by terrorists before the military operations began last year in Nigeria.