Buratai insists: Sambisa forest has fallen

The professionalism and determination of ‘Operation Deep Punch 2’ led to the fall of Sambisa forest in Borno state.

Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff (COAS), said this at the 2018 West Africa Social Activities (WASA) programme which ended late on Saturday in Apapa, Lagos.

He was represented by Enobong Udoh, general officer commanding (GOC), 81 division of the Nigerian Army.

The COAS said the operation and other exercises, which were part of the training activities for the army in 2017, helped to curtail criminal activities in parts of the country.

According to him, WASA is one of the ways of keeping the traditions of the army.

He explained that it was usually organised to mark the end of a training year and the beginning of another.

“Various field training exercises such as ‘Shirin Harbi,’ ‘Harbin Kunama 2’ and ‘Crocodile Smile 2’ were successfully conducted in all parts of the country in 2017,” he said.

“The climax of these exercises and operations was the ‘Operation Deep Punch 2’ in the north-east, which led to the fall of the Sambisa forest.

“These exercises have notably gone a long way in curbing and reducing criminality and other crimes across the country.”

On several occasions, the military claimed that it has destroyed Sambisa forest yet it still conducts operations there.

This has created doubt in the public. When this issue came up at a press conference in Borno in February, Rogers Nicholas, theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole said: “Camp Zairo (regarded as headquarters of the sect in Sambisa) has been taken by our troops on several ocassions. This is an assymetric warfare; there’s no boundary. We take it today, they leave the place and move to another place occupy it again. They continue to run round; but this time around, I’ve decided we’re going to stay with them in that bush. We’re pursuing them round the bush, so we’re with them there.”