Boko Haram militants have attacked a joint security post near Muna in Borno State, killing an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and injuring several soldiers from the 195 Battalion.
The attack happened around 2:00 a.m. At the weekend, when the insurgents stormed the “Charly Company” location and opened fire on security personnel. Reinforcements later arrived, forcing the militants to flee into the bush.
The officer who died was identified as Assistant Immigration Officer IA II Lucky, a member of NIS Batch 13 deployed under Operation Hadin Kai.
According to immigration sources, the deployment of NIS officers to frontline combat positions has caused frustration within the service. One officer, speaking anonymously, said immigration personnel are not trained like soldiers for direct combat operations.
“Imagine immigration officers being used in frontline battles with Boko Haram when we are not trained for this,” the officer said. “We are given only two magazines to defend ourselves. How do they expect us to survive?”
Another officer noted that this latest incident is not the first tragedy involving their team.
“This batch alone has lost nearly four officers since the deployment began,” he said. “We are overstretched, under-equipped, and exposed.”
Some NIS personnel are calling on the Comptroller General to urgently intervene to protect officers deployed in conflict zones.
“The CG must step in,” a senior officer said. “Immigration is not a combat force. We support operations, but we should not be put directly in harm’s way.”
They also accused some senior officials of favouritism in duty rosters, claiming some officers are shielded from dangerous assignments while others face repeated frontline exposure.
“The CG should caution his G1 and admin,” one officer said. “It looks like they favour some people and leave the rest of us to face the toughest tasks.”
As of the time of this report, the Nigerian Army had not released an official statement, and efforts to contact the NIS spokesperson, Akinsola Akinlabi, were unsuccessful.
Security operations are still ongoing in the Muna area, a known hotspot for insurgent activities on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
