Colonel D.C. Bako, Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, led a patrol to clear Boko Haram terrorists from the Sabon Gari-Wajiroko axis when his team entered an ambush. The troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle. Under Bako’s leadership, the troops cleared the ambush, killing scores of terrorists and recovering weapons. Bako was wounded in action and evacuated by air to the 7 Division Hospital in Maiduguri, where he was initially reported to be recovering well. He died the following morning, September 21, after what the army described as a "successful operation."
20 Sept 2020 · Sabon Gari-Wajiroko, Damboa, Borno
Deaths
4
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
4
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum mourned Bako, stating: “It was public knowledge that I liked Col Bako and so did many people. Bako was a true soldier who inspired his troops and led them to the frontlines with exceptional courage that was clearly out of pure patriotism”
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Killing a war hero of Bako's stature (who liberated Damaturu and Alagarno) serves to demoralize troops and the civilian population.
Trajectory
By late 2020, insurgents shifted focus toward high-value targets. The death of Bako—a veteran known for leading from the front—highlighted the extreme risks faced by senior officers attempting to break the garrison mentality of the Super Camp strategy.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks including 23 March 2020 – Goneri (the Gorge) ambush causing heavy military casualties during an offensive, 07 July 2020 – Bulabulin ambush using concealment tactics against returning troops, 30 August 2019 – Gasarwa convoy ambush targeting military personnel with heavy weapons, 04 July 2019 – Damboa ambush during clearance operations, and 31 May 2018 – Pridang–Bitta road ambush combining IEDs with follow-on attack, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram targets military leadership and frontline commanders through well-planned ambushes during clearance missions—aimed at inflicting symbolic and operational losses, weakening troop morale, and disrupting offensive momentum in insurgency-affected zones.
Pattern
Convoy Ambush
Sources
- https://www.nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/terrorists-kill-nigerian-army-commander-6-others-in-ambush--2305464
- https://www.naijanews.com/2020/09/21/nigerian-army-issues-statement-on-colonel-dahiru-bako-killed-by-boko-haram/
- https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/416218-nigerian-army-confirms-death-of-colonel-after-boko-haram-ambush.html?tztc=1
Related — Ambush
Boko Haram gunmen ambushed a convoy of vehicles traveling under military escort along the recently reopened Maiduguri-Damboa highway. Attackers emerged from the bushes as the convoy slowed down at a section of road riddled with potholes and opened fire on the vehicles. The attack subdued the military escorts and caused panic among passengers. In the ensuing chaos, some passengers fleeing into the bush were caught in crossfire between soldiers and insurgents.
A vigilante pursuit of cattle rustlers ended in a deadly ambush in Yargoje Forest after Bandits stole 50 cows and 30 sheep from Alhaji Muntari in Unguwar Audu Gare, Bakori LGA; volunteers from 11 communities (Yansakai) tracked the attackers’ footprints, but were ambushed by heavily armed Bandits using AK-47s, overwhelming the lightly armed vigilantes.
Men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) clashed with gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members in Gambouru ward, Maiduguri. The clash occurred when suspected gunmen attacked a military patrol vehicle near Kofa Biyu on Sir Kashim Ibrahim Way. A sustained shootout ensued, causing civilians to flee for their lives. An attendant at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) confirmed that two bodies of civilians were brought to the hospital by a JTF van. The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gideon Jibrin, confirmed the clash and stated that some civilians were injured by stray bullets. The JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, stated he was initially unaware of the shootout but would investigate.