The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, will today, lead service chiefs to reopen roads hitherto closed by the Boko Haram insurgents in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
One of our correspondents learnt that the roads, which were earlier being manned and controlled by the insurgents ,affected no fewer than 15 villages.
It was learnt that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, will be at the Sambisa Forest.
Buratai had told President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday that the Nigerian troops had successfully crushed “Camp Zero”, believed to be Boko Haram’s last enclave in the Sambisa Forest.
He said the camp fell at about 1:35pm on Thursday and that the terrorists were on the run, because they no longer have a place to hide.
A source close to the air force chief told one of our correspondents that the service chiefs would also have lunch with the troops.
He said, “The defence minister alongside service chiefs will, on Sunday, open some roads earlier closed by the Boko Haram insurgents. The chiefs will also have a Christmas lunch with troops in the frontline.”
Meanwhile, Buhari on Saturday expressed great excitement when Buratai, informed him about the latest development.
The President in a goodwill message he sent to the troops, said he was proud of them and their achievements.
He urged Nigerians to cooperate and support the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies by providing useful information that would expose all the terrorists that could be hiding among the populace.
Buhari said more efforts should be intensified on locating and releasing the remaining girls abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014.
The President wrote, “I am delighted and most proud of the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army, on receipt of the long-awaited and most gratifying news of the final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest.”
Meanwhile, President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Saturday, commended President Buhari and the Nigerian Armed Forces for the success of Operation Lafiya Dole in the notorious Sambisa Forest.
(Punch)
