Sambisa forest to serve as training ground for Nigerian army – COAS

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Monday disclosed that Sambisa forest would now serve as training ground for officers of the Nigerian Army as from next year.

Buratai made the revelation in 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.

He 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.”