A military strategist has revealed that insurgents from Boko Haram deliberately launch many of their attacks on Nigerian troops at night, taking advantage of the limited night air support available to soldiers during combat operations.
The strategist, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the terrorists are aware that troops often rely heavily on aerial support from the Nigerian Air Force during battles, support that is sometimes unavailable during nighttime engagements.
According to the source, the insurgents use this gap in operational capability to plan and execute assaults on military positions.
“Boko Haram attacks are mostly launched against troop positions at night knowing that air support is usually unavailable. Our Air Force lacks strong night-flying capability,” the strategist said.
He explained that the absence of air cover during intense night battles can affect the morale of soldiers defending their bases.
“Because our troops have become used to receiving air support during combat, they can feel demoralised when the Air Force is unable to provide that support during night operations,” he added.
The strategist also described the tactics commonly used by the insurgents, noting that they often organise attacks in multiple waves aimed at overwhelming defending troops.
According to him, the attacks are carefully designed to unleash a high volume of gunfire on military positions while simultaneously creating psychological pressure on soldiers.
“One of the ways they do this is by organising their assault force into waves—sometimes as many as seven waves—with about 30 minutes between each wave,” the strategist explained.
He said the strategy combines sustained firepower with repeated attacks to gradually weaken resistance and exhaust soldiers defending their positions.
Despite these challenges, the strategist maintained that insurgent groups could still be defeated if the Nigerian military improves its operational planning, leadership, and professionalism.
He emphasised that appointing competent officers to key command positions and strengthening strategic coordination would significantly improve the military’s effectiveness.
The warning comes amid renewed attacks by insurgent groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province, across northeastern Nigeria.
Over the past week, fighters from both groups have carried out a series of assaults on military bases in Borno State and Yobe State, killing several soldiers and seizing military equipment.
Most of the attacks reportedly occurred at night, suggesting a pattern of coordinated operations aimed at exploiting weaknesses in night-time military response.
However, the Nigerian Army has recorded some successes in counter-operations. Troops recently reclaimed the Ngoshe community in Borno from insurgents, while forces in Yobe reportedly killed a senior Boko Haram commander along with several fighters.
Despite these gains, the military has also suffered heavy losses, including the deaths of three commanding officers within a week.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria) has said new strategies are being developed to strengthen intelligence gathering and improve coordination among security forces as efforts continue to tackle the insurgency.
