The Nigerian community in South Africa has commended the Federal Government for flushing out Boko Haram insurgents from the Sambisa forest.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of the Nigerian Union, South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Pretoria on Thursday that the routing of the sect members was a welcome development.
“ This feat has restored the pride of the Nigerian armed forces and we plead that this victory be sustained so that these terrorists would have no space on Nigerian territory to regroup,” he said.
The latest victory, he said, would send a strong signal to other terrorist organisations that there would be no breeding ground for them in Nigeria.
Anyene called for the setting up of a military base, including a training school for special forces, in the forest to prevent the remnants of the insurgents from regrouping in the forest,
He also urged the Federal Government to continue to boost the morale of troops with the adequate deployment of military hardware as well as ensuring that requisite welfare needs were readily made available.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday also congratulated the Nigerian Army for defeating Boko Haram and capturing their major enclave, the Sambisa forest.
Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, the Chairman of a faction of the party, gave the commendation in Makurdi, when he led other national officials of the party on a working visit to PDP supporters in Benue state.
Sheriff explained that the commitment of the armed forces had exposed his political enemies, who had accused him of sponsoring the group.
“I am the number one victim of Boko Haram.
“I lost relatives, aides, political associates in the crisis and someone accused me of funding the sect.
“The commitment of our armed forces has exposed my political enemies and I urge the Nigerian people to congratulate them for this victory.”
He said that the capture of Sambisa forest alone was a victory and the Army could not be commended enough for the achievement.
The former governor of Borno State said he was an intrepid politician, whose main agenda as the PDP national chairman was to return the party to the electorates.
