Zirkusu was killed while reinforcing troops during an engagement around Askira Uba. Uba was reported killed following an ambush on a military convoy. Braimah was killed during an attack on a military position at Benisheikh. These are generals operational situations. If we are going to use the deaths of generals as a measure of military effectiveness, then we need to examine their operational exposure and command responsibilities, not simply count casualties. American generals are generally less exposed to direct combat than frontline troops, but US Major General Harold Greene was killed in Afghanistan in 2014 during a visit to an Afghan military training facility. I am not arguing that the Nigerian military has no operational shortcomings, or that the loss of senior commanders should not prompt serious questions about intelligence, force protection and operational planning. I am arguing that those questions are different from the claim we were discussing.