‘Boko Haram war over in North East’

•Army to consolidate feat
•Group lauds Buhari, military

The spokesman for Defence Headquarters, Brig-Gen. Abubakar Rabe, says the military has continued to intensify its “rescue final and mop-up operations” in the North East after the capture of Sambisa Forest last month.

The Boko Haram war, according to him, had been won by the joint military forces and other security agencies.The military spokesman made the disclosure in a statement yesterday in Maiduguri.

In the meantime, the Nigerian Army said it would this year consolidate on the gains recorded by troops in the fight against insurgency.The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja while reviewing exercises and operations conducted by the force last year.

President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the fall of “Camp Zairo,’’ the last stronghold of the Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa Forest, in his Christmas message.

“We will continue to accord high priority to training, regimentation and welfare of the troops.“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has directed that the next Nigerian Army Small Arms Competition (NASAC) 2017 be conducted in Sambisa Forest,” the spokesman added.

Also yesterday, a group, Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) yesterday applauded President Buhari and the military for the feat recorded in the anti-insurgency war, urging sustenance of the synergy currently existing among the service chiefs.Its coordinator, Musa Tukur Tilde, gave the commendation in a statement in Abuja.