Nigerian Army Dismisses Four Soldiers for Alleged Violation of Standing Orders Amid Boko Haram Counter-Insurgency in North-East
Nigerian Army has dismissed four soldiers deployed in the North-East for counterinsurgency operations, after they were accused of flouting an unspecified military standing order.
The affected personnel — Mukaila Mutari (22NA/88/10253), Isah Emmanuel (22NA/83/7262), Kolomo Alex (24NA/86/5151), and Ibrahim Musa (24NA/86/0885) — were serving in ongoing operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP before their removal from service.
Their dismissal letters, dated Monday, November 17, 2025, surfaced online on Wednesday alongside photographs showing them in desert camouflage uniforms, according to Sahara reporters.
In military procedure, a standing order is a long-term operational directive that remains binding until officially withdrawn or amended.
The Nigerian Army has yet to clarify the exact rule the four soldiers allegedly violated, leaving the circumstances surrounding their dismissal open to speculation within security circles.
The development comes at a tense moment for troops battling insurgency in Borno and surrounding states.
The same day the dismissals were confirmed, news broke that Brigadier-General Musa Uba had been captured and killed by ISWAP fighters, an incident that has further unsettled the theatre of operations.
Senior commanders, including Operation Hadin Kai Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, were said to have visited the Damboa military base last Saturday to intensify search and rescue efforts for personnel abducted during a violent ambush.
Security sources previously reported that ISWAP militants launched a late-night assault on a military convoy on Friday, killing several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF). Witnesses described the attackers as heavily armed and highly coordinated, suggesting the ambush was the result of deliberate planning.
As investigations into both the ambush and the soldiers’ dismissal continue, anxiety remains high among troops on the frontline, where morale has been strained by repeated insurgent offensives.