PDP Congratulates Buhari, Nigerian Military for Conquering Sambisa Forest

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian military and Nigerians for successful clearing Sambisa forest of Boko Haram terrorists.

The opposition party noted that the president was able to build on the efforts of his predecessor, as the war against insurgency received a boost in the weeks leading up to the 2015 general election.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said clearing Sambisa forest was a welcome development in the fight against terrorism.
PDP however noted that all other forests used as criminal hideouts and bases, particularly in Birnin Gwari, Zamfara, Southern Kaduna, Enugu and Benue States, which have become killing fields,
must also be cleared of criminal elements by the military.

The statement read in part: “We congratulate Nigerians on this important milestone in the long and bitter struggle against the forces of evil that have wreaked so much suffering and hardship on our people in the last few years.

“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… The insurgents were virtually annihilated – a feat that made it possible for elections to hold peacefully in almost all the local government areas of all the states in the North-east region last year. We are therefore very much delighted with the continuation of this great effort by the president.

“We also thank the international community for their support and encouragement particularly, those countries that have helped in the procurement of critical military hardware.

“The clearing of the Sambisa forest is a critical milestone but not the end of the war against insurgency. The government and the military must not rest on their oars. The hot pursuit of the terrorists must continue unabated and relentlessly until the entire North-east is rid completely of them.”