Capture Of Sambisa Is Just The Beginning Of Onslaught Against Boko Haram – Minister Of Defence

BEVERLY HILLS, January 16, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali has declared that the capture of Camp Zairo in Sambisa forest is just the beginning of the onslaught against Boko Haram.

He made this known in Yola, on Monday , at the Command centre of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during a briefing for members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) team invited by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on an operational visit to Sambisa forest.

The Minister, responding to questions from Mrs. Oby Ezekwezili, BBOG convener and former Minister of Education, on why the military is still conducting operations in Sambisa when it claimed to have captured it, declared that the military would not relent till insurgency is finally over.

“Camp Zairo is the spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram, it doesn't mean when you capture that all of them will disappear but it is significant because it was thought that the place was impregnable,” he said.

“Capturing Camp Zairo is the end of the mission to capture the place, we are not saying the campaign is over but we have dominated camp Zairo.

Leading the briefing, the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal, Nurudeen Balogun said the NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over Sambisa forest have revealed sightings of women and children, many trying to flee Boko Haram.

“We have intensified our ISR to ensure displaced Boko Haram members do not regroup. Since January 1 to 15, 2017, we have flown a number of sorties and there have been some sightings of abductees,” Balogun said.