At least 40 Nigerian soldiers were killed and 65 others went missing in a deadly ambush by suspected members of the extremist group, Boko Haram, in the sect’s stronghold in Borno state, multiple defence sources have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Army authorities are miffed by the incident, and have ordered an investigation into the suspected operational blunder that gave the militants such an upper hand. The commanding officer of the unit that carried out the operation has now been removed from his post, officials say.

The casualty, one of the heaviest for the military in its campaign against the militant group in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, occurred along the Baga –Maiduguri road on Friday, September 13, in what our sources said was a classic case operational and communication failure.

A detachment of soldiers under the 134 Battalion of the 12 Brigade under the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, stationed in Kangarwa village in Kukawa local government, had conducted a reconnaissance to gather intelligence around the area, during which they established the presence of previously unnoticed Boko Haram camps.

The soldiers returned to their base and filed a report recommending aerial bombardment of the area, preparatory for a ground operation by troops, our sources, who declined to be named for security concerns, said.

But that plan was cancelled at the final minutes by an unnamed top official without formal communication to the more than 100 troops that had already advanced on the area.

“Due to lack of communication, the troop ran into the terrorists without knowing that the aerial bombardment had been cancelled and they were caught unawares,” one of our sources said.

The soldiers were trapped in the ambush under heavy fire from the militants who had surrounded the area, leaving at least 40 soldiers killed. Some 65 others have remained missing, our sources said.

The insurgents confiscated a huge cache of weapons from the soldiers after the attack.

As with past failures that ended in bloodshed and heavy casualty against the military, authorities have struggled to place a lid on the incident.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, a Brigadier General, said he was attending a meeting and would prefer a text message.

He did not respond to the text message.

But a top security source confirmed the incident and said the army headquarters have ordered an investigation.

Other officials, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES anonymously, said the Boko Haram assault was a reminder of the difficulties they face daily contending a dodgy but adept enemy that continues to take advantage of mistakes by military planners, to inflict heavy damage on army units.

The attack came less than two months after a similar miscalculation on August 4 which also resulted in a heavy casualty following a similar surprise attack by Boko Haram on a camp at Malam Fatori.

Officials had told PREMIUM TIMES at the time that about 20 soldiers were missing after that attack.

Source: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/144803-exclusive-40-soldiers-killed-65-missing-in-fresh-boko-haram-ambush.html

Blood of jesus!!! ... It has red for d soldiers oooooo! ... God wud punish Boko haram nd dier crews! Bastard sons of a thousand fathers!

But this is not funny o....40 soldiers?? Hmmm that oga@dtop should be blamed for everything...sad news...stupid and confused people who call themselves boko-haram...mtchew brainwashed retards

I am moved to tears. May God console the bereaved.

Like seriously?

More like Operational incompetence and presidential failure.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY PROGRESS.THE PLAN ITSELF IS FLAWED
with the trillions of naira voted for security,why not a night raid with night vision goggles with helicopter gunship support .
Just One apache AH64 can control that battlefield by providing cover for the advancing troop from more than 10 miles and destroying everything that moves.
Guess what ,it cost less $25 million dollars
Why won't the soldiers be slaughtered like ileya ram.
Do you need to conduct an air raid before advancing on the terrorist ?
IS the element of surprise not the key to winning this kind if war?
More like BBM' ing to alert the terrorist before advancing with armourless and useless pick-up truck.
All this after devoting over a trillion naira annually to security for the past 3 years.

When nigeria is ready to fight this kind of asymmetric warfare with proper weapons ,equipment and strategy
WAKE ME UP
RIP soldiers
U deserve a better commander in chief.

Apache AH64 ( not crappy chinaware)dealing with terrorists who did not even know they were being watched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHwVZWHeX0o

what is wrong with Nigeria? why must we toy with everything?! how can somebody disrupt an operation this sensitive just because he's a general and far away from the battle field. if the military which is suppose to be highly disciplined and professional is also being recklessly clowned with in this manner, then unless we mend our ways soon, we are on a one way ticket to doomsville!

S@NNiE:
what is wrong with Nigeria? why must we toy with everything?! how can somebody disrupt an operation this sensitive just because he's a general and far away from the battle field. if the military which is suppose to be highly disciplined and professional is also being recklessly clowned with in this manner, then unless we mend our ways soon, we are on a one way ticket to doomsville!

All that is buck passing.
They simply presented you and I with a scape goat.
The people at the very top are unaccountable and very corrupt.

What a disaster. The effect of this on troop morale can only be imagined. I hope soldiers dont end up letting out their anger on the innocent otherwise the goodwill and confidence they enjoy among the local population is as good as gone.

Good God!!

This appears like pure sabotage by elements sympathetic to Boko Haram in the military. The story doesn't even add up. Assuming there was even loss of communication, aren't those on ground supposed to see signs of aerial bombardment even on ground before venturing on the operation? Why did they embark on the operation when there was no sign of aerial bombardment? How come we still have Boko Haram camps after almost 6 months that the military deployed fully on ground? I'm not a military strategist but I smell sabotage and quota-system-induced INCOMPETENCE. Very sad

So the president should now draw up an attack strategy for the soldiers? This has nothing to do with presidency.

But I am still surprised at the dirt rate. Does it mean there is still a large number of armed boko men out there to waste 40 soldiers?

Could an insider in the army have tipped boko members off?

I still don't get the picture.

From my own understanding the soldier were not informed that the air strike did not take place.

Secondly the boko guys came closer than the target location to lay ambush. I guess the soldiers were waiting to get to the target location before they take cover.

RIP to the dead soldiers.

bloggernaija: More like Operational incompetence and presidential failure.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY PROGRESS.THE PLAN ITSELF IS FLAWED
with the trillions of naira voted for security,why not a night raid with night vision goggles with helicopter gunship support .
Just One apache AH64 can control that battlefield by providing cover for the advancing troop from more than 10 miles and destroying everything that moves.
Guess what ,it cost less $25 million dollars
Why won't the soldiers be slaughtered like ileya ram.
Do you need to conduct an air raid before advancing on the terrorist ?
IS the element of surprise not the key to winning this kind if war?
More like BBM' ing to alert the terrorist before advancing with armourless and useless pick-up truck.
All this after devoting over a trillion naira annually to security for the past 3 years.

When nigeria is ready to fight this kind of asymmetric warfare with proper weapons ,equipment and strategy
WAKE ME UP
RIP soldiers
U deserve a better commander in chief.

Typical Tinubu rat, trying to draw political capital from the death of fellow human beings.

Sincere 9gerian: This appears like pure sabotage by elements sympathetic to Boko Haram in the military. The story doesn't even add up. Assuming there was even loss of communication, aren't those on ground supposed to see signs of aerial bombardment even on ground before venturing on the operation? Why did they embark on the operation when there was no sign of aerial bombardment? How come we still have Boko Haram camps after almost 6 months that the military deployed fully on ground? I'm not a military strategist but I smell sabotage and quota-system-induced INCOMPETENCE. Very sad

Someone vested with a sense of humility, who clearly understands he is no military strategist, would have spared us the conjectural musings.

If this is true... Hmmmmm.. Smh! Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world where the lives of people who dedicate their lives to fighting for their fellow country men is treated with great levity.. The other time, we lost almost 100 mobile police men and state security service men in one day. What was done by the government?! Nothing! That matter has been swept under the carpet! When did we descend so low? This people swore to defend whatever dignity is left of our country, leaving their families and loved ones behind, withstanding the worst of living conditions just so you and I can sleep with an eye closed, yet an "oga at the top" will sit in the comfort of his office to abort an operation without proper communication to his "boys" on the field.. And if this is true, ask me what will hapen to that "oga".... Yea, your guess is as good as mine.. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Smh.

RIP.....But who shld take d blame

I thought we are done with this blood suckers.
Nigeria will win this fight someday.
RIP to the dead.

It is obvious that there are still moles in the army working for Boko haram.
This is really demoralizing.

bloggernaija: More like Operational incompetence and presidential failure.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY PROGRESS.THE PLAN ITSELF IS FLAWED
with the trillions of naira voted for security,why not a night raid with night vision goggles with helicopter gunship support .
Just One apache AH64 can control that battlefield by providing cover for the advancing troop from more than 10 miles and destroying everything that moves.
Guess what ,it cost less $25 million dollars
Why won't the soldiers be slaughtered like ileya ram.
Do you need to conduct an air raid before advancing on the terrorist ?
IS the element of surprise not the key to winning this kind if war?
More like BBM' ing to alert the terrorist before advancing with armourless and useless pick-up truck.
All this after devoting over a trillion naira annually to security for the past 3 years.

When nigeria is ready to fight this kind of asymmetric warfare with proper weapons ,equipment and strategy
WAKE ME UP
RIP soldiers
U deserve a better commander in chief.

Apache AH64 ( not crappy chinaware)dealing with terrorists who do not even know they are being watched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHwVZWHeX0o

I watched this video and it was terrific seeing those monsters blast into pieces. In Nigeria, war is only fought with guns and bullets. No sophisticated weaponry or conventional way of fighting war with latest technology. The buck stops with the President/Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. I just hope Nigeria doesn't get into a war with a country like Egypt, Mauritania, Congo, Angola, Algeria, Ethiopia....... those countries could wipe out Nigeria within a week. So much for "Giant of Africa."

Somebody must be playing with Nigerians intillegient. RIP to death soldiers

eGuerrilla:

Someone vested with a sense of humility, who clearly understands he is no military strategist, would have spared us the conjectural musings.

My analysis is from the laymans perspective. I dont understand why such ambush should take place, whether there's failure of communication or not. Why did the troops on ground embark on the operation without green light from those supposed to provide aerial cover? Why did those supposed to provide aerial cover pull out of the operation? Aren't those on ground supposed to see signs of aerial bombardment if there was any? If you have answers, I'm willing to learn. I'm just sad at this very unfortunate and avoidable tragedy. I just hope the report is not true.

Still wondering how true this is. This is not mistake at all! It was predetermind, i smell betrayal either from the militry commander of the unit or among the field soldiers themselves.

nigeria OUR OWN nation. Those once that are missing are members of boko haram. Hmm just thinking aloud.

I thought Boko Haram was dead and buried....

am telling You

Sunymoore: Somebody must be playing with Nigerians intillegient. RIP to death soldiers

Yeeeeeeh

Blood of Jesus!

Some one has compromised the operation.

jesus!! 40?... Chai.. Boko members dey everywhere, even in army sef

Southerners are sent to boko haram territories to die in vain. There should be mutiny else, they will all die in vain. They should send northern soldiers to fight boko haram. Gej is bribing loyal governors with $12B while monkeys are dying in vain.

If this report is not false,

so Boko haram still have presence and fire power to out fire 100 soldiers ?

Then this Jonathan's administration and their supporters are full of deceit just like their OPC (APC) fellow rogues.

We were given the impression of situation under control in the North. Even America did not lose 40 soldiers in a year in serious war front.

This incompetence is getting to me and i am seriously angry.

Am sorry to say this but the truth must always prevail . . .

The Nigerian army are still living in the past and are a bit Lilly livered in most cases . . .

How can the army be always seeking for air cover when going for a raid . .The surprise advantage is lost when you always rely on having the Air force provide air cover for every small raid.

Some of those Military boys dey faint sef if them jam BH . . . .Which levels Na . .