Boko Haram: Nigerian Army launches operation “deep punch”

The Nigerian Army has launched operation “Deep Punch” in the Northeast to clear remnants of Boko Haram from the Sambisa forest
This was disclosed in Okene on Saturday by the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai at the commissioning of Forward Operational Base constructed by the Kogi State government.

The Chief of Army staff said that the launching of operation “deep punch” followed the successful decimation of insurgents in the zone.
“Following the successful decimation of Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, the Nigerian Army has launched operation deep punch to clear Sambisa forest of the remnants of already weakened insurgents to pave way for return of normalcy to the zone”, he said.
The Chief of Army staff, who was represented by the Director, Training and doctrine command, Major General R.O Yusuf said that no meaningful socio economic activities could take place in the atmosphere of criminality.

He added that this was the reason Nigerian Army would continue to be grateful to the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for making security top priority project in his new direction agenda.
While promising that the Army will put the facility to good use, he also called for cooperation in the area of providing useful information that would help in combating crimes in the state.
Earlier, the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello noted that the security situation was at an alarming stage when he took over on 2016.

According to him, Kogi state recorded over 50 percent of total kidnap cases in Nigeria between 2015 and 2016.
He stressed that the facility donated to the military if effectively used will lead to zero incidences of armed robbery kidnapping, communal clashes and farmer versus herdsmen faceoff.
Governor Bello disclosed that a total of N204, 668,000 was expended on the project.