Nigerian Army Begins Operation to Rescue Abducted Residents in Niger

The Nigerian Army has commenced efforts to rescue residents abducted by terrorists in Dekara District of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday said troops were deployed to the area following an attack on the community on Friday.

Dekara, located along the Nigeria-Benin Republic border, is one of the communities on the fringes of the Kainji Lake National Park. The area is also considered difficult to access and is reportedly used by terrorists as a movement corridor within the park forest.

According to the report, the Army had earlier ordered the deployment of troops to Dekara to establish a blocking position ahead of a planned clearance operation in the forest.

It added that newly inducted troops from another operational axis were being prepared for the clearance operation aimed at restricting the movement of terrorists in the area.

However, while troops were advancing towards the community on Friday, the terrorists reportedly attacked the village, abducted several residents and killed some people.

The report said troops arrived later in the day and took up positions in the community, after which the terrorists launched another attack on the soldiers.

“The terrorists subsequently attacked the deployed troops but were repelled by the soldiers,” the report stated.

It added that no casualty was recorded among the troops, while one AK-47 rifle and other items were recovered from the terrorists.

The Army said it was yet to establish the exact number of residents abducted or killed during the attack, noting that some residents had fled to neighbouring Benin Republic before the troops arrived.

It said efforts were ongoing to locate the missing persons and ascertain the full extent of the attack.

The Army assured the public that further updates on the rescue operation and other developments would be provided as more information becomes available.