The Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Major General Saidu Tanko Audu, has conducted a confidence-boosting operational assessment visit to troops in Malam Fatori, Borno State, following their successful defence against a coordinated attack by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
The visit, which took place on March 19, 2026, was to 68 Battalion, Malam Fatori, located in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, within Sector 3 of the MNJTF Area of Responsibility.
According to a statement by the Acting Chief Military Public Information Officer of the MNJTF, Lieutenant Colonel Iweha Ikedichi, the visit followed the gallant resistance by troops who repelled a multi-pronged terrorist assault launched from the evening of March 18 into the early hours of March 19, 2026.
Major General Audu, who was accompanied by the Commander, Sector 3 Nigeria MNJTF, Major General S. Tilawan, and the Acting Commander, 19 Brigade, Colonel Emmanuel Okon Ikang, conveyed commendations from the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu.
The Force Commander praised the troops for their gallantry, resilience, proactiveness, and professionalism, noting that their determined defence not only protected the military position but also prevented terrorists from overrunning and plundering the civilian population in the area.
Following a detailed operational briefing, Audu provided additional guidance to the Commanding Officer of 68 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Ochigbo, and his officers, urging them to sustain heightened vigilance and prepare against possible reprisal attacks by insurgents following the heavy losses they reportedly suffered during the failed assault.
Addressing the soldiers, the Force Commander stressed the need for teamwork, alertness, and unwavering resolve in confronting terrorist threats, assuring them of continued logistics support and promising to escalate their operational concerns to higher authorities.
As part of the visit, the Force Commander and the Sector 3 Commander also inspected the battalion’s defensive positions, making tactical adjustments to trenches and gun placements to further strengthen the location’s defensive posture and enhance combat effectiveness.
In a further morale-boosting gesture, commendations from higher headquarters were also conveyed to individual soldiers for their performance during the engagement.
Before departing Malam Fatori, the Force Commander and the Sector 3 Commander visited the local community, where they urged residents to continue supporting troops with timely and credible intelligence.
He also warned youths in the area against being lured by terrorist groups, cautioning them not to allow themselves to be recruited or used as couriers for suicide bomb attacks against their own communities.
The visit underscored the MNJTF leadership’s commitment to frontline troop welfare, operational effectiveness, and stronger civil-military cooperation in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
