Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers, Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on the military to take over the Sambisa Forest from the Boko Haram terrorists by taking the fight to them.
Sultan made the statement while leading top monarchs in the country to Maiduguri to condole with the government and people of Borno State on the killing of rice farmers by Boko Haram in Zabarmari.
According to him, “I read the comment the governor made some few weeks ago, challenging the military to take the fight to the Lake Chad to clear that place. Your Excellency, while I was a Lieutenant, I was at Lake Chad in Baga for six months, my battalion in Bama used to rotate with the battalion in Monguno and Maiduguri every six months.
“We occupied the Lake Chad part of Nigeria for six months. I was the operation officer and I have my maps. In Lake Chad at that time, we had 36 Islands under Nigeria, we occupied 16 of them, the biggest was King Nasara, we controlled that part of Nigeria effectively well as a battalion.
“Now, I don’t know why we can’t occupy the whole of Lake Chad and why we can’t occupy the whole of Sambisa forest. If we want peace, we have to dominate these areas.
If we want peace, we have to do away with those terrorists who occupy that place and see nothing good in other people except those that believe in their own negative ideas.”
Meanwhile, Shehu of Borno had assured Governor Babagana Zulum of adequate supports to the security agencies in the fight against insurgency.
In his response, the governor appreciated the royal fathers for the special visit, adding that effort are ongoing to make the state a safe haven for citizens.
Among the monarch with the Sultan on the visit are: the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemaka Alfred Ugochukwu; Oore of Otun-Ekiti, Oba Adekunle Adebayo, the Emir of Hadeja, Dr. Adamu Abubakar Maje amongst others.