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Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has re-opened the Maiduguri/Damboa/Biu road in Borno State for motorists.
The army closed the 187-kilometre road in November 2018 due to insecurity to lives and property.
Opening the road yesterday, Buratai said the closure was for strategic reasons and to allow free action of troops against Boko Haram along the highway and in Sambisa Forest.
His words: “The road to be re-opened runs into the forest, serving three towns and a dozen communities. Despite the re-opening of this road on April 4, 2016 to members of the public, we had to close it again about a year ago. The closure is an operational exigency to protect people lives and property along the road.”
According to him, the army has achieved the objectives of the closure by securing it for motorists.
There is minimal insecurity to lives along the road linking Damboa, Sabon/Gari, Biu and communities along the road, he added, assuring stakeholders of Damboa and Biu that the civilian JTF, vigilante and hunters would support the military in securing the road.
While thanking the army for re-opening, Borno State deputy governor, Umar
Kadafur, called on motorists to cooperate with soldiers and other security agencies along the road.
Also, Buratai has tasked troops to sustain the fight against Boko Haram terrorists to restore peace in the North East.
The decade-long terrorism has claimed many lives and property in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
Buratai, while inspecting captured rifles and gun trucks by 156 Task Force Battalion in Mainok village of Borno, tasked the troops “to continue onslaughts against insurgents until they are completely smoked out from Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region.”
Commending soldiers for recent feats against terrorism, he said their doggedness and resilience helped to neutralise insurgents.
According to him, the annihilation of terrorists and recovery of weapons and gun trucks are a boost to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
“The Federal Government is committed to providing you adequate equipment to maintain the current tempo of operation with a view to ending insurgency in shortest possible time,” he said.
He noted that though the operations were complex, they should continue to overcome challenges of ending the war.
