Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered a probe into last week’s terrorist attacks on a military base in Damboa, Northeast Borno State, that killed six troops. In a statement Thursday, Tinubu said the investigation will help identify security lapses to avoid future occurrences.
The president’s statement — released Thursday by his information adviser Bayo Onanuga — called for a comprehensive investigation into the attack on the military base at Sabon Gida, Damboa.
According to the Nigerian military, Islamic State of West Africa Province militants masterminded the ambush, killing six soldiers on Jan. 4.
Authorities say the investigation will focus on identifying possible intelligence gaps and operational inefficiencies that may have contributed to the incident.
But Beacon Security analyst Kabir Adamu said the president must be clear about the probe’s objective.
“It depends on who’s going to conduct the probe,” said Adamu. “If it’s the military themselves, my honest opinion is that it’s because of their lapses that led to the attack, so I don’t expect them to do an effective probe. I would expect an external body or even the national assembly to set up a parliamentary committee. Ordering a probe without really the details of what, who, when, and how the probe will be conducted is a bit vague.”
The president also praised the swift intervention of security forces, particularly their air units, during the attack.
He sent condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and ordered the military to intensify its operations against bandits and terrorists.
The attack occurred amid ongoing progress in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts. According to Adamu, that may have been a factor in the terrorists’ mission.
“This particular forward operating base is the only one in that location, sandwiched between Alagano and Sambisa Forest. They wanted to cripple the activity of the military which would give them access to about five local governments in southern Borno,” said Adamu. “I don’t see it as a resurgence because it is just one incident. That forward operating base has always been vulnerable.”
Nigeria faces significant security challenges from terrorist groups and criminal gangs, particularly in the northwest and central regions.
In November, national defense authorities reported military successes, including the deaths of about 115 terrorists and the arrest of hundreds more.
However, security analyst Ebenezer Oyetakin said continued vigilance is needed.
“Since President Bola Tinubu took over, there have been drastic moves to contain them, and we are seeing it in the successes that are being recorded by our military, [but] we are at war, and we should be alert at all times,” said Oyetakin. “There have been many other probes in the past, and we are still where we are.”
As Nigerian authorities work to secure the nation, many will be watching to see whether this latest investigation leads to tangible improvements.
