President Muhammadu Buhari has presented Nigerians a gift to cherish this Christmas.
Today, it will be safe to sing John Lennon’s song ‘Happy Christmas (War is Over)’ as Nigerian soldiers are reported to have finally broken the backbone of the dreaded Boko Haram sect by taking full control of the stronghold in Sambisa Forest.
About 4,200 officers of the Nigerian Army, Air Force and other special forces took part in the operation to uproot the Boko Haram terrorists from their Sambisa Forest.
Buhari broke the news of the capture of Boko Haram’s last stronghold in a goodwill message to soldiers of the Operation Lafiya Dole over the victory.
He said that he had received the long-awaited and most gratifying news of the final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest.
He said: “I want to use this opportunity to commend the determination, courage and resilience of troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole at finally entering and crushing the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents at ‘Camp Zero’, which is located deep within the heart of Sambisa Forest.
“I was told by the Chief of Army Staff that the camp fell at 1:35pm on Thursday, December 22, and that the terrorists were on the run and no longer have a place to hide…
“This, no doubt, will go a long way in improving the security situation, not only in the North-East, but the country in general. But we must not let our guards down… I wish you a Merry Christmas and a most rewarding and peaceful Year 2017 ahead.”
Reports say many Boko Haram fighters were captured as well as a suspected white mercenary.
Hundreds of captives including women and children were librated.
Nigerian soldiers who librated the forest were deployed through various fronts, including Ngurosoye, Konduga/Aulari, Bama, Fulka and Damboa.
“The 151 Battalion of the Nigerian Army advanced into Sambisa through the Banki-Darul Jamal axis, the 27 Battalion advanced through Mafa, the 152 Battalion advanced through Pulka, while the 222 Battalion approached the dreaded forest through the Maiduguri axis,” a soldier who participated in the operation told reporters.
According to him, the day and night battle saw soldiers using mine detectors to clear the way, as troops moved in to confront the insurgents.
The Air Force deployed fighter jets with night vision devices.
According to military sources the ‘Camp Zero’ comprised a cluster of dreaded camps and cells, the strongest and most fortified of all of them is a huge structure with underground cells and armoury built for the disbanded National Guards in the 1980s.
The building has about two layers of underground buildings. It was built by the military government in the 1980s for the training of the National Guards that was later disbanded.
The National Guard was established by former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, in 1989 to combat crime and terrorism.
The Sambisa Forest stretches across six states in the North-East and North-West parts of Nigeria, including Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa and some parts of Kano State.
It got its name from the village of Sambisa in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, which shares borders with the Republic of Cameroon.
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