The Nigerian Army has launched an internal probe following the unauthorised leakage of a classified security document from the Department of State Services (DSS) warning of impending Boko Haram and bandit attacks in Borno and Adamawa states.
Internal findings reveal that senior leadership at the 232 Battalion in Yola, Adamawa State, initiated the investigation to pinpoint the personnel who circulated the sensitive report.
Dated 27 July 2026 and addressed to the Commander of the 23 Armoured Brigade in Yola, the intelligence alert warned that insurgents were planning coordinated assaults in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State following a collapsed ceasefire.
The DSS document detailed that terrorists had positioned surveillance teams to monitor key locations, intending to kidnap high-profile individuals, including local residents, councillors, district heads, and religious leaders. Specifically, the report noted that the district head of Michika and his son were highlighted as prime abduction targets. To counter the threat, the DSS advised military authorities to partner with local hunters and forest guards to fortify vulnerable communities.
A security source speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that the document was officially registered before being leaked, explaining: “If you see the document, it was already punched in the registry of the 232 Battalion. It was after that an officer snapped it and sent it out to whoever he or she wanted for reasons best known to the person.” The source expressed regret over the breach, noting that while the DSS intended to quietly alert units to maintain high readiness, the leak instead sparked widespread panic among local populations.
Military officials have condemned the compromise, describing the breach as an act of sabotage designed to undermine national defence. Vowing to apprehend the perpetrators, a military officer declared: “There is nothing that can stop us from fishing out those behind the leaked document from the DSS. We must fish out the bad eggs among us.”