Army to make Sambisa forest training area

THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai during an operational visit to the Army troops in Sambisa forest has said the Army will transform the settlement into a training area.

Charging them, he said the troops should ensure they capture the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau who is currently at large either dead or alive.

“Mr President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces says congratulations to you all for recovering Sambisa Forest.

“We are going to transform this place, apart from making it a training area.

“We are going to have a modern defence establishment in terms of the provision of basic requirements for your comfort and indeed for your operations.

“We are already making sure that the first set of facilities are brought here,’’ the army chief said.

3,000 troops would be inducted into the Operation Lafiya Dole this week, to replace those who had stayed for quite a while in the “Operation Lafiya Dole”, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The troops destroyed the camp in January in an operation tagged “Deep Punch II’’ and are now dominating the general area of the forest.

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Other locations visited by Buratai are Bita, Tukumbere, and all settlements within the forest but almost deserted due to the insurgency.

He, however, directed principal officers, who accompanied him, to visit other locations and frontline.