Fresh details have emerged following the deadly Boko Haram attacks on two military formations in Yobe State, with military sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters alleging that top Nigerian Army authorities have begun a crackdown on soldiers suspected of leaking operational failures to the media.
The alleged crackdown followed the publication of reports that at least 36 soldiers and mobile police officers were killed during coordinated attacks in the Gujba Local Government Area of the state.
The attacks occurred around 1 am on Thursday night into Friday morning, when Boko Haram insurgents stormed the Theatre Training Centre in Buniyadi and the 27 Task Force Brigade in Buni Gari.
Both communities are in the hometown of Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni. Military sources told SaharaReporters that the publication of the incident angered top security officials in Abuja.
One source alleged that a commander received a call shortly after the report was published.
The source said, “One of the commanders received a call immediately after the story was published. The commander said the call came from the National Security Adviser Ribadu’s office.
“They were angry that information about the attack got to the media so quickly.”
The source alleged that military commanders were instructed to suppress reports on Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The source claimed, “We were told clearly that going forward, information about Boko Haram or ISWAP attacks should not be made public until after the 2027 elections.
“They said such reports are damaging the image of President Bola Tinubu’s government and the military. The instruction was that operational failures should be managed internally.”
The source who spoke with Sahara Reporters further alleged that threats were issued against soldiers suspected of speaking with journalists.
According to the source, “Commanders warned that any soldier found communicating with the media would face severe punishment.
“The threat was serious. People are scared because they believe they can be framed or targeted at any time.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that dozens of security personnel were killed when insurgents launched simultaneous attacks on the two military facilities in Yobe.
One of the soldiers who survived the attack said the insurgents invaded the formations during the midnight assault.
The soldier said, “My camp was attacked by Boko Haram. In 27TF BDE Buni Gari, three soldiers were killed in action and the attack started around 1:00 a.m. The Boko Haram terrorists were attacking us and at the same time attacking our neighbouring camp.”
Another military source described the incident as one of the deadliest recent attacks on troops in the area.
He said, “Last night was bloody.
“We started hearing that Boko Haram was attacking Buniyadi around one o’clock in the morning. We wanted to reinforce them, but before we could move, they started attacking our own camp too.”
According to military sources, the Theatre Training Centre in Buniyadi recorded the highest casualties.
The sources said 17 mobile police officers undergoing training were killed.
They added that 10 soldiers attached to the training programme and six permanently deployed soldiers also died during the attack, bringing the total death toll from both formations to at least 36.
