The ongoing war against insurgent activities in the country has taken its toll on the military, as the Commanding Officer of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and several other valiant soldiers paid the supreme price after a fierce battle with Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
This was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Apollonia Anele.
According to the statement, troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, under the 21 Special Armoured 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.
It explained that the troops successfully located and destroyed identified Boko Haram camps in the area, thereby frustrating the terrorists’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socio-economic activities.
The statement read in part: “During the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gunfight and neutralised several of them, while others sustained injuries.”
The statement lamented that “these brave heroes fought for the peace of our great nation, and their legacies shall endure forever.”
It further assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to honour the weight of their sacrifices, noting that their loss serves as a reminder of the military’s unyielding resolve to stamp out terrorism from Nigeria.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, hereby extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the departed.
“They were not just soldiers but fathers, brothers, and sons who displayed immeasurable courage by taking a last stand in the face of adversity, and we stand together in this time of grief,” it stated.
The Chief of Army Staff also reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s unwavering determination to relentlessly pursue all terrorist elements until total peace and normalcy are restored in the region and across the nation.