A newlywed Nigerian soldier, Abdullahi Bhuwa Usman, has been killed by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
SaharaReporters gathered that Usman was among soldiers killed when the insurgents engaged the Nigerian military in a four-hour battle to take control of Dikwa.
The attack happened a few hours after Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai handed over to Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as the Chief of Army Staff.
The gunbattle started at around 6:00 pm and lasted till about 10:00 pm. It claimed many casualties, including Usman.
“I received the news of Usman’s death with deep shock. He just got married on December 27, 2020. I attended the wedding here in Lagos.
“Though he wasn’t in attendance physically because he was on duty, his family members and friends were all here and left with the wife to Borno State that same day.
“I still spoke with him last week and told him to take care of his wife; it’s just so sad. He was so jovial and caring,” a family member of the deceased told SaharaReporters.
In the past months, the insurgents have targeted soldiers, who mostly lay ambush on their path.
The Boko Haram insurgency has caused over 40,000 deaths and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
The terror group wants an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria.
