Fallen Soldiers Buried in Borno

Author: Gist Correspondent

Emotions ran high at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery in Maiduguri, Borno State, as military officers and soldiers killed in a Boko Haram attack were laid to rest with full honours.

The solemn ceremony was marked by heart-wrenching scenes, including a widow who fainted and was revived by medical personnel, and another who broke down as her children repeatedly asked about their father.

Sources said some families initially struggled to attend the burial due to the trauma, requiring intervention from military clerics who offered spiritual support.

The fallen personnel, including Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and seven others, died during coordinated attacks on military formations in Benisheikh, Ngamdu, and Pulka.

The main assault targeted the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, where insurgents reportedly breached defences using heavy gunfire and explosives.

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI later repelled the attackers, killing several insurgents, while follow-up airstrikes neutralised more fighters and led to arrests of suspected collaborators.

Defence sources described the slain personnel as courageous soldiers who chose to stand their ground despite the danger.

Top officials, including Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and senior military chiefs, attended the burial, where tributes were paid to the fallen heroes.

Speakers at the event hailed their bravery and sacrifice, noting that their legacy would endure in Nigeria’s history.

The ceremony underscored the human cost of the fight against insurgency, even as the nation honoured the courage of its fallen troops.