Nigerian Army commences road construction in Sambisa forest

Maiduguri – The Nigerian Army on Wednesday said it had embarked on road construction project in Sambisa Forest as part of ongoing clearance operation to dislodge remnants of Boko Haram insurgents.

Dozens of recruits undergo training at headquaters, Depot of the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State in north central Nigeria, on October 5, 2017. The Nigerian army train recruits to tackle the terror threat of Boko Haram in North East Nigeria.

Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency began in 2009 and has killed at least 20,000 and forced more than 2.6 million from their homes.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri. Kukasheka said that the army had begun construction of access road to open the forest and link adjourning communities.

He listed the projects as Gwoza-Yamtake-Bita-Tokumbere-Sambisa and Gwoza-Yamtake-Bita roads. “In its efforts to make Sambisa forest habitable and also training ground, the Nigerian Army is following up the ongoing clearance operations with road construction into main heartland of the forest and adjoining communities.

“Already, work has commenced in earnest on Gwoza-Yamteke-Bitta road, as well as the reconstruction of the road from Gwoza-Yamteke-Bitta-Tokumbere, leading into Tokum forest”.

The military authorities had set up a military training facility in Sambisa Forest after dislodging the insurgents’ tactical ground at Camp Zero.

Also, the Borno Government on Monday restricted vehicular movement on three major roads in the state, to prevent fleeing insurgents escaping military offensive from infiltrating into the communities.

Credit: Vanguard