The final WhatsApp messages sent by Brigadier-General Uba, the Commander of the Damboa Brigade, have surfaced, revealing his last desperate communication with troops before he was killed by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Though the Nigerian Army initially denied reports of his death, multiple military sources confirmed that the senior officer was killed after hours of being declared missing during an operation in the forest.
Before contact was lost, General Uba was said to have reassured colleagues in a short video that he was safe. But new details shared by security analyst Zagazola Makama on X show the harrowing final exchanges between the commander and his coordinating team.
In one of the messages, Uba asked, “Are they going to pick me or direct me on where to go?”
The coordinating officers responded, “Sir, they will remain overhead and coordinate with the troops moving towards you, Sir.”
A later message from the general revealed his deteriorating situation, “My battery is 31% now.”
His final communication showed him attempting to position himself for rescue by air assets.
“Sir, I am on foot, but once I see the aircraft, I can raise my peak cap.”
According to Makama, no further messages came after that. Hours later, reports emerged that the commander had been killed by ISWAP terrorists.
General Uba’s death marks one of the most devastating losses for the Nigerian military in recent months, raising fresh concerns about troop safety, communication infrastructure, and the intensity of insurgent operations in the region.
