The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) on Sunday commended the chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the Nigerian Army over the cheery news of the cleaning out of Camp Zero, the last hideout of Boko Haram insurgents in Zambisa Forest.
The group stated this in a statement, signed the UK coordinator, Engr Adekaa Onyilo and made available to TheLeaderng.
The statement reads, “The Nigerians In Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) is happy to learn that the Nigerian Army has cleared out ‘Camp Zero’, which until that action was Boko Haram terror group’s last hideout in the dreaded Sambisa Forest.
“This will successfully bring an end to the nefarious activities of the terrorists which were planned, incubated or hatched from that location.
“Months after Boko Haram was designated as technically defeated, this new development tactically implies that the group has now been duly crushed.
“We laud the Nigerian Army for achieving this feat in tandem with the assurances given earlier. And we acknowledge the fact that we were not surprised as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai had declared December as a month of decision. He had given the marching order for troops to finish off the terrorist group this month.
“This pronouncement by the COAS has spurred the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole to embark on Operation Rescue Finale and recording this landmark success that has seen the last of the terrorists holed up in that forest fleeing their camps in different directions. The liberation of Sambisa Forest have ushered unto the scene a situation where numerous terrorists are now willingly giving up their arms and choosing to embrace the path of peace.
“It is remarkable that troops successfully cleared out Sambisa Forest in spite of the concerted and coordinated onslaught by Boko Haram sponsors that consistently placed obstacles before the army as an institution and its leadership as individuals.
“NDMG totally aligns with President Muhammadu Buhari and echo his directive to the Army. We ask that the fleeing terrorists must be tracked, chased down their holes like the common criminals that they are, apprehended and made to answer for their atrocities.
“Beyond the fleeing fighters, attention must also be given to the intellectual, financial and propaganda wings of the terror group so that the possibility of resurgence is completely ruled out.
“Even as we are not unaware of the economic situation in the country, we extend our hand our fellowship to the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammad Buhari, in the same manner as urge the federal government to speed up the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by Boko Haram’s acts of terror so that members of re-established communities can contribute to preventing remnants of the fighters from regrouping using some sort of community policing and intelligence sharing.
“To Nigerians, we appeal that sectarian, religious, political, ethnic and regional differences should be shelved or eschewed and citizens once again demonstrate the much needed unity of purpose as their unrelenting contribution to scrape out the last of this dwarfed evil from our fatherland.”
