Boko Haram terrorists have killed the Commanding Officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lt. Col. Aliyu Paiko, along with several soldiers, during an attack in the Kashimri area of Bama Local Government Area, Borno State.
This was confirmed in a statement on Monday, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Appolonia Anele.
Anele said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai foiled a planned terrorist attack but suffered casualties in the fierce encounter.
“Troops of Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI under the 21 Special Armored Brigade on 17 October 2025 successfully foiled an attack planned by Boko Haram terrorists around the Kashimri general area of Bama Local Government Area, Borno State.
“However, the encounter took its toll on our side, as the Commanding Officer, 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and a few other valiant soldiers paid the supreme price as they fell in battle,” the statement read.
Anele noted that the troops located and destroyed several Boko Haram camps in the area, frustrating the insurgents’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socio-economic activities.
“During the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gunfight, neutralized several, while others fled with injuries,” she added.
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She described the fallen soldiers as heroes who fought for the peace and stability of the country, assuring that their legacies would be remembered.
“The Nigerian Army will continue to honor the weight of their sacrifices. Their loss reminds us of our unyielding resolve to stamp out the scourge of terrorism from our great nation,” the statement said.
It added that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, extended his condolences to the families of the deceased, describing them as “fathers, brothers, and sons who showed immeasurable courage in the face of adversity.”
Oluyede reaffirmed the army’s determination to relentlessly pursue all terrorist elements until peace and normalcy are fully restored in the region and across Nigeria.
The army also urged the public and the media to refrain from sharing images of the fallen soldiers until their next of kin have been duly notified, to preserve their dignity and respect the privacy of their families.
In May, some bandits killed two soldiers in an attack on Ijaha Ikobi, a community in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.
A resident of the area who identified himself simply as Adakole alleged that the attackers also carted away military weapons, including two AK-47 rifles and one submachine gun.
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