This is the Sambisa Forest Game Reserve

[1] This is the Sambisa Forest Game Reserve, which

once used to be tourist attraction in Borno State. It

was a game reserve that dates back to colonial

times and covers an area of approximately 60,000

square miles.

[2] In 1991, the then Borno State government

incorporated it into the Chad Basin National Park

with a total area of about 2,258 square kilometres.

This Chad Basin National Park also included the

Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in modern day Yobe State.

[3] At the time, the Sambisa Game Reserve had

leopards, lions, elephants, hyenas and huts built for

tourists to stay in. However, in typical Naija style,

we allowed the place to fall into a state of disrepair

as the animals died, the roofs leaked, weeds

covered the roads, water stopped flowing, there

was no power and the whole reserve became

another derelict white elephant.

[4] As of today, the buildings are still standing and

the large expanse of land remains there. Boko

Haram subsequently found itself a ready made

headquarters and based all its fighters there, from

where it carries out murderous attacks on he rest

of Nigeria.

[5] Everybody in the Nigerian government and

military knows where the Sambisa Game Reserve is

and more to the point, they are fully aware of the

fact that Boko Haram are camped there.

[6] Information from the area suggests that Boko

Haram fighters can be seen in the game reserve

relaxing and training. Their women carry out the

usual chores like cooking, laundry, etc in the area

and the place is like any normal Nigerian

community.

[7] It is thus no surprise that Boko Haram took the

abducted Chibok girls to the Sambisa Game

Reserve as it has all the facilities to accommodate

them. There is no military presence in the area

despite the creation of the Seventh Mechanised

Division of the Nigerian army based in Maiduguri

with approximately 9,000 men.

[8] Can someone please tell us what is going on

here. Everyone in Nigeria knows where Boko Haram

is apart from the government and the military. If

the Nigerian military wanted to eliminate Boko

Haram, I believe they could do it within two days.

[9] All the local civilians have fled, so all the

Nigerian Air Force needed to have done is flatten

the game reserve. About 12 Tomahawk cruise

missiles and some napalm would have seen off

Boko Haram for good. Back this up by sending

about 50 T-55 tanks and say 2,000 infantrymen

and the entire terrorist group will be mopped up.

[10] Clearly, there is a political reason why Boko

Haram has not been eliminated yet. I wonder if the

abduction of these girls will provide the

government with the political will to act. Once they

get them back, will we see Sambisa leveled once

and for all? Can the government please stop telling

us we are winning the war against terrorism when

we have not even entered into battle at all. We are

waiting for the war to be declared!

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