Nigeria's Vice President, Kashim Shettima Mustapha, has visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to condole with the Nigerian Army and the state government over the recent attack on military personnel in Benisheikh, which left Brigadier General Oseni Braimah and several other soldiers dead.

The visit, made on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was revealed in a statement on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).

Shettima noted the fallen soldiers died in service to the country, describing their sacrifice as one that highlights the cost of peace and security.

“These men wore the uniform for all of us. They stood to protect our communities, our families, and the future of our children. Their courage reminds us that peace and security often come at a very heavy cost,” he asserted.

The vice president assured the continued support of the federal government, saying, "Criminals will have no hiding place under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Shettima's condolence visit was prompted by a fatal midnight attack on a military base in Benisheikh, Borno State, where suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters reportedly launched coordinated raids on multiple military positions around 12:30 am on Thursday.

The insurgents were said to have advanced in large numbers, striking at least three military units before pushing into neighbouring civilian zones, in what surviving soldiers described as one of the most intense attacks in recent months.

According to a soldier who survived the attack, the scale and coordination were unprecedented; he noted that the terrorists appeared to have studied military positions in advance.

“We are used to coordinated attacks, but this was different. They came in large numbers from different directions at the same time,” the soldier recounted.

Despite these claims, the headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai has dismissed reports suggesting that 17 soldiers, including the brigade commander, were killed in the attack.

Lt Col Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer of the Northeast Joint Task Force, said the assaults resulted in the deaths of only two officers and two soldiers. He described contrary figures being circulated as false and misleading.

He further refuted rumours that the brigade commander’s vehicle failed during the operation, stating that the commander was in a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle that was only temporarily immobilised during combat while he coordinated the response.

Uba painted that the incident highlighted the intensity of the battle and the presence of leadership at the frontline, not any equipment failure, insisting that the official casualty figures remain those released by the defence headquarters.