Troops operating under Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD have thwarted an attempted terrorist assault on their position at Dekara in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, forcing the attackers to flee into nearby forests.
The confrontation reportedly occurred at about 8:24 a.m. on August 23, 2026, when suspected terrorists launched an attack against troops deployed in the area.
The soldiers swiftly responded to the assault, engaging the attackers and successfully pushing them back. Faced with the troops’ resistance, the terrorists reportedly abandoned their position and escaped towards the surrounding forest.
A subsequent search of the area yielded a cache of items believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing group.
Among the recovered items was one AK-47 rifle loaded with four rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, along with six motorcycles, 49 mobile phones, nine batteries and 10 memory cards.
The recovery of the large number of communication devices is expected to give security agencies fresh leads into the activities and networks of the suspected terrorists operating within the area.
Further intelligence gathering through drone surveillance reportedly showed two suspected injured terrorists being transported on motorcycles towards the Kainji Lake National Park.
Security forces have since intensified operations in the area, maintaining pressure on the fleeing attackers in an effort to prevent them from regrouping or establishing new positions.
The communication equipment recovered during the operation could prove particularly useful to intelligence officers as they work to establish the identities of members of the group, trace their communication links and determine the routes they use to move through the area.
The latest clash comes as security forces step up efforts to deny armed groups access to the vast forested terrain around the Nigeria-Benin border, which has increasingly come under scrutiny as a potential route for terrorist movement and logistics.
With troops maintaining an aggressive posture in the area, security authorities are expected to sustain surveillance and ground operations aimed at disrupting terrorist activities and preventing the forest corridors from becoming operational safe havens.
The successful repulsion of the attack and recovery of weapons and communication equipment underscore the continuing efforts by troops to restrict the freedom of movement of terrorist elements operating around the Kainji Lake axis.
Source:@ZagazolaMakama
