15-Year-Old Arrested in Connection with Killing of Brigadier-General in Borno
Troops of the joint task force operating in the north-east have arrested a 15-year-old boy believed to be part of the group that carried out an attack on a senior military officer in Borno state.
The teenager, whose name was given as Tijjani, was picked up by soldiers from Operation Hadin Kai. According to sources, he was caught while on his way to buy food for other members of his group. At the time of his arrest, he did not put up a fight.
The attack in question led to the death of a brigadier-general. The military has not yet released the officer’s full name or the exact date of the incident, but security sources confirm that the teenager is being held for questioning over his role in what happened.
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This case has drawn attention because of the suspect’s age. Fifteen years old is young to be caught up in the kind of violence that has troubled Borno for years. But stories like this are not new in the region. Armed groups have been known to recruit children, sometimes by force and sometimes by offering money or a sense of belonging.
One security source who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “These groups use young people because they can move around without raising too much suspicion. A teenager buying food does not look like a threat. That is how they operate.”
The military has not said whether Tijjani has confessed to anything or if he was the one who fired the shots that killed the brigadier-general. For now, he is being held as a suspect, and interrogations are ongoing.
People following the story online have expressed mixed feelings. Some are angry that a child could be involved in killing a military officer. Others say the teenager is likely a victim himself – someone pulled into a world he did not fully understand.
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A social media user wrote: *”A 15-year-old boy buying food for his group. That is not a commander. That is a child who has been used. The real people behind this are still out there.”*
Another person said: “It does not matter his age. If he took part in killing a general, he should face the law.”
The military has not released any official statement beyond confirming the arrest. But Operation Hadin Kai has been working for years to clear Borno of armed groups and restore some level of normal life. Arrests like this one are part of that effort, even when the suspect is young enough to be in secondary school.
For now, Tijjani remains in military custody. Whether he will be tried as an adult or treated as a minor is something the authorities have not yet decided. But one thing is clear – the fighting in the north-east has taken a heavy toll on people of all ages, and cases like this show just how deep the problem goes.
15-Year-Old Arrested in Connection with Killing of Brigadier-General in Borno.
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