The Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai has announced that Sambisa forest, which the Nigerian Army had taken over from the dreaded Boko Haram on Thursday would be turned into a training ground for officers of the Nigerian Army as from next year.
Buratai, who spoke at Damasak, Borno, while celebrating Christmas with troops of 145 Battalion after the road leading to the town was reopened by Governor Kashim Shettima, three years after closure said: “we are also opening up roads to Sambisa and Alagarno forest. Sambisa forest is going to be one of our training grounds.
“I have already directed that we should conduct Nigerian Army small arms championship in that forest next year.
“And we are going to use it also to test fire our fighting vehicles, other key equipment and weapons that requires testing whenever we want to induct new weapon and equipment into the Nigerian army inventory.
“It will afford us very good ground for basic tactics and indeed advance tactics, including but not limited to tactics at the Platoon, company, battalion, Brigade and even division levels.
“We are going to make it more robust to make sure that these criminals do not come back to that forest again.” [myad]
