The Ahmed Makarfi-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken the credit for the recent clearing of Sambisia Forest by the Nigerian military.
A statement by the Spokesperson of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, noted that the war against insurgency received a major boost in the build-up to the 2015 general elections by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
This, he said, made it possible for elections to hold peacefully in almost all the Local Government Areas of all the states in the North East ravaged by insurgency.
The opposition party commended the Buhari administration for continuing with the programmes of its predecessor in the area of security.
Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai had disclosed on Monday that Sambisia Forest, the last stronghold of the dreaded Islamic group Boko Haram recently cleared by soldiers, would serve as a training ground for the personnel of the Nigerian Army as from 2017.
“We also congratulate the President for his dogged pursuit of the war against insurgency. We are happy that he has built on the efforts of his Predecessors. Whatever we are witnessing now is as a result of all the efforts and sacrifices of the past and present.
“We salute the men and women of our beloved armed forces. Their courage, determination and sacrifice made this achievement possible. The men and women of the Nigerian armed forces have served and continue to serve with distinction in many peace keeping operations all over the world. We salute them for fighting with great courage to keep the peace in their own country”, Adeyeye said in a statement on Tuesday.
The party, however, called on the military to clear other forests used as hideouts by criminals elements, namely: Birnin Gwari, Zamfara, Southern Kaduna, Enugu and Benue Forests.
