The Nigerian Army has established an internal investigation panel to identify military personnel suspected of leaking information about recent Boko Haram attacks in Yobe State to the media. The attacks targeted two military installations—the Theatre Training Centre in Buniyadi and a brigade location in Buni Gari—in coordinated midnight assaults. Military sources confirmed that the attacks resulted in significant casualties among soldiers and Mobile Police officers. The probe was initiated after an exclusive media report revealed operational details of the assaults, prompting anger within top security circles in Abuja.
One commander reportedly received immediate calls from senior officials following the publication of the report. A military source said the swift media coverage angered top brass, leading to the formation of the committee to trace leaks from within military formations to journalists. The panel's mandate includes tracking the flow of information related to recent Boko Haram and ISWAP incidents. Personnel have been instructed not to disclose details of such attacks to the press.
"We were told clearly that going forward, information about Boko Haram or ISWAP attacks should not be made public until after the 2027 elections," a source said. "They said such reports are damaging the image of the government and the military. The instruction was that operational failures should be managed internally." Another source revealed that soldiers face severe punishment if found communicating with journalists. "Commanders warned that any soldier found speaking to the media would face severe punishment," the source said. "People are scared because they believe they can be framed or targeted at any time."
The Nigerian Army is hunting soldiers for leaking attack details while admitting the attacks caused significant troop losses, exposing a conflict between operational transparency and image management. The order to withhold such information until after 2027 means Nigerians may not learn about future security failures for years. Soldiers now risk punishment for speaking out, even when reporting events the public has a right to know. This silencing directive applies directly to personnel in Yobe, where attacks continue.
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