Sambisa forest will serve as training camp for soldiers - Nigerian army
- Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai reopened roads to Sambisa and Alagarno forest after three years of closure
- Buratai said that the army commenced the mop up operation after recapture of Sambas forest
- According to him, the grounds will be used for training of the troops
Nigerian army in Sambisa forest
The Sambisa forest, that was recently recaptured from the Boko Haram insurgents, would serve as training camp for the Nigerian troops from the next year.
Vanguard reports that Tukur Buratai,the chief of army staff, disclosed this on December 26, in Damasak, Borno, while celebrating Christmas with troops of 145 Battalion.
He stated that the soldiers were already conducting a clearing up operation in the forest after the last strong hold of the Boko Haram insurgents was taken.
“We are also opening up roads to Sambisa and Alagarno forest. Sambisa forest is going to be one of our training grounds,” Buratai said.
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“I have already directed that we should conduct Nigerian army small arms championship in that forest next year.
“And we are going to use it also to test fire our fighting vehicles, other key equipment and weapons that requires testing whenever we want to induct new weapon and equipment into the Nigerian army inventory.
“It will afford us very good ground for basic tactics and indeed advance tactics, including but not limited to tactics at the Platoon, company, battalion, Brigade and even division levels.
“We are going to make it more robust to make sure that these criminals do not come back to that forest again.”
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President Muhammadu Buhari on December 24, Saturday, announced that the military defeated Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest, one of the militants' last remaining strongholds
The troops have frequently claimed victories against the Islamic State (IS) group affiliate but access to the epicentre of the conflict in Borno state was strictly controlled.