He said already, he had directed that the Nigerian Army small arms championship for 2017 should hold in the forest.
This is just as former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has hailed the successful recovery of Sambisa Forest by the Nigeria Military, saying it has further confirmed his confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will crush Boko Haram.
Speaking at a camp fire ceremony with troops of 145 Battalion Damasak, Borno State, to mark Christmas celebration, Buratai said: "We are opening up roads in Sambisa Forest to site a base. It is going to be one of our training centres in the country as well as ground for testing acquired equipment before putting them into operation. A similar thing will be established at Alagarno, the former acclaimed spiritual base of Boko Haram before their defeat there.
" We want to thank you, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, especially the theatre commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, the GOCs and all the soldiers fighting insurgency in Borno and Northeast for bringing Boko Haram terrorists to their knees. My gratitude also goes to the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy whose collaboration has made the work fruitful."
Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff reopened the Maiduguri-Gubio-Kareto-Damasak and Maiduguri-Monguno-Baga highways for commercial activities, following the emerging peace in Borno, with a strong warning to the personnel and members of National Union of Road Transport workers and National Union of Road Transport Employees to desist from any sort of extortion on the highways.
The two major highways, which are transit routes for trade between Nigeria, Chad and Niger Republic, particularly in the areas of smoked fish, hide and skin, cattle, gum Arabic, rice and beans, among others, were closed two years ago by the military because of Boko Haram activities.
Buratai charged troops to ensure that the highways are not only free from accidents, but also free from insurgents.
"This is a great day as the occasion is dedicated to members of Road Transport workers and Employers whose activities were crippled by Boko Haram.
"But I must warn everyone assigned on this road not to indulge in any form of extortion from the road users as anyone caught will be dealt with," he warned.
Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, who witnessed the reopening of the roads, described this year's Christmas as the best since his election as governor, because of the remarkable events in his life and that of Borno
"Since I was elected as governor of Borno state, this is the best Christmas I have ever witnessed. It is in this Christmas that the Nigerian Army established their supremacy against Boko Haram in Sambisa. It is in this 2016 that many communities were liberated from Boko Haram. It is in this same year that the 21 Chibok girls were rescued at once by the military. It is Borno and Nigeria's year of Victory," the governor stated.
In a statement in Minna, Niger State, yesterday, Babangida said he was highly delighted with the news of the successful operations of "Our gallant military personnel in the Sambisa Forest."
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