• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

Acording to sources on Saturday, the officer was reportedly sent on a high-risk rescue mission without essential air or ground reinforcements from the military. The family of Lieutenant J.O. Ejeh of the Nigerian Army has raised the alarm over his whereabouts following a brutal ambush by Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa Forest In Borno State. Acording to sources on Saturday, the officer was reportedly sent on a high-risk rescue mission without essential air or ground reinforcements from the military. According to family members who spoke to SaharaReporters, the Lieutenant had been directed to a new location within the forest to rescue individuals under attack when his unit was intercepted. "The lieutenant and his team were attacked by insurgents while responding to distress calls from people who were reportedly under attack in another location within the forest," a top source informed SaharaReporters. The family members noted that they had been gripped by fear and anxiety since the incident occurred. "We haven't slept since yesterday," one of the family members said. "He has been in Sambisa for a while now. He was sent to another location in Sambisa to go rescue some other people they were attacking without other backup from the Army or Air Force." The relative alleged that the unit came under heavy attack from the terrorists during the operation. "That was when the Boko Haram attacked them and bombed them on the way," the family member said. The family also claimed that Lt. Ejeh had been scheduled to attend a military course earlier in the year but was prevented from doing so by his brigade because of his operational effectiveness. "He was supposed to go for a course this January but the brigade refused to release him because he is good in operation," the source said. They further alleged that the officer had not been granted annual leave since his deployment to the conflict zone. "He has not gone on annual leave since he resumed there," the family member added. According to them, Ejeh had been an outstanding cadet during his training at the Nigerian Defence Academy before being commissioned into the Nigerian Army by former President Muhammadu Buhari. "Right from NDA he was one of the best cadet officers before his commissioning by late former President Muhammadu Buhari," the relative said. The family appealed to military authorities to provide updates on his condition and ensure that adequate support is given to troops operating in dangerous insurgency zones. Meanwhile, SaharaReporters' efforts to speak with the Nigerian Army for comments on the incident were unsuccessful as the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. (Mrs) Onyechi Appolonia Anele, could not be reached on telephone as of the time of filing this report. Sambisa Forest, located in northeastern Nigeria, has long served as a major stronghold for Boko Haram insurgents and remains one of the most volatile areas in the country's ongoing counter-insurgency operations. SaharaReporters had earlier reported that over 40 Nigerian soldiers had been confirmed killed during attacks by militants of the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, in Borno. Source: https://saharareporters.com/2026/03/07/family-worried-over-lieutenant-attacked-boko-haram-sambisa-forest-without-backup-army