The last person to talk to General Oseni Braimah before he died was his twin brother, who was grieving the loss of his brother. The General was killed along with other soldiers in a terrorist attack on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State, on April 9, 2026.
A family member of the Edo State-born General, who was buried with his soldiers on Wednesday in Maiduguri, Borno State, revealed that the General was on the phone with his twin brother, who lives in the UK, when the incident happened, according to Vanguard.
The relative told our reporter that the twins used to talk at midnight every night, but that night their conversation took a sad turn.
In the meantime, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has given complete educational scholarships to the three kids of the late Brigadier General Braimah.
The relative, who didn’t want to be named, claimed, “Braimah was a twin.” His twin brother isn’t in Nigeria right now. They are identical twins and are quite close to each other. They talked virtually every day. As usual, they resumed talking around midnight. But then the General stopped, reportedly because something strange was happening on his end. “After that, the line went dead.”
His twin brother tried many times to get in touch with him, but he couldn’t. He kept calling and texting, but no one answered. He said, “The General didn’t answer again.”
He also said that the twin brother stayed awake because he was upset.
He stayed up until about 4 a.m., continually calling his brother, but there was no answer.
At around 6:30 a.m., I got a call from a high-ranking Army commander. As soon as I saw the call, I knew something was wrong. He told me that things were bad at the Base before he told me what happened.
He stopped for a moment before saying, “The officer said the Base was under attack and communication had broken down.” That was how I found out that some soldiers had died, and my brother, the Brigade Commander, was one among them. “It’s so sad,” he continued, his voice fading away.
Okpenholo gives scholarships to kids.
Dr. Patrick Ebojele, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, said yesterday that the scholarship will pay for the children’s education from where they are now all the way through college.
He said that the people who would benefit were Farida Hussain-Braimah, 18, a first-year Software Engineering student at Nile University in Abuja; Amir Hussain-Braimah, 16, who is in SS 3 at Olumawu Senior School in Abuja; and Yasmeen Hussain-Braimah, 12, who is in JSS 2 at Olumawu Junior Secondary School in Abuja.
Governor Okpebholo called the act both a moral duty and a sign of good government. He said that Brigadier General Braimah’s death was a great sacrifice for Nigeria.
“Brigadier General Braimah gave his life for this country.” The governor stated, “It is only right that we stand by the family he left behind and make sure his kids can go to school without any problems.”
He said that the late officer was a symbol of discipline, bravery, and love of country.
The governor says that the scholarship program fits with the education pillar of his administration’s SHINE Agenda, which focuses on social welfare, human capital development, and inclusive governance.
“No child of an Edo hero should not have the chance to succeed.” He went on to say, “This is about duty, honor, and a conscious investment in the future.”
The Edo State administration also asked other state governments and private sector groups to follow their example and offer organized support, especially in education, to the families of military servicemen who die while on duty.
A look at the life of Brig. Gen. Braimah
Brigadier General Braimah was a professional soldier who showed discipline and depth in everything he did, from leading elite units to representing Nigeria on the world arena. He paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against terrorism. The cop was known for his tall stature and calm demeanor. He was smart and had a lot of experience in the field.
He had a Bachelor of Arts in History from the Nigerian Defence Academy and a Master’s in Defence Studies from King’s College London. He also had a Master’s in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Benue State University and a Master’s in National Security Management and War Studies from the National Defence University in Islamabad.
He held important positions in leadership, training, and administration throughout his career. From September 2024 to March 2025, he was the Chief of Staff at 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt. There, he made sure that operations ran smoothly and that troops were ready for battle.
He was also the Chief Instructor at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, where he taught officers. Before that, he was in charge of both security and ceremonial tasks for the Infantry Presidential Guards Battalion in Abuja. He worked as a United Nations Observer outside of Nigeria, helping to keep the peace by monitoring ceasefires and providing intelligence support.
He was about to leave Borno for the Ministry of Defence when this terrible attack happened.
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