Army arrests teenage suspect linked to killing of brigadier general in Borno

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a 15-year-old suspect linked to the attack that killed Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, and three soldiers in Borno State last week.

The suspect, identified only as Tijjani, was apprehended on Sunday in Ngamdu while allegedly on his way to collect logistics for his group. He was carrying N850,000 at the time of his arrest, according to a report by The Cable.

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In a video circulating online, Tijjani said in Hausa that he participated in attacks on Benisheik and Ngamdu, and that his group had moved from Jilli before and after the operations. “Before the attack, we came from Jilli and returned there after the attack,” he said. “Yesterday, I left other fighters, my colleagues, at Jilli. I don’t know what happened to them there.”

Braimah was killed on Thursday during an assault on a military base by suspected Boko Haram insurgents — one of the deadliest attacks on Nigerian military leadership in recent months. His death came two days before Nigerian troops carried out an airstrike on Jilli market, which the military said targeted the same ISWAP logistics network to which Tijjani claims to belong.

Authorities had not issued an official statement on the arrest at the time of publication.