Sambisa Forest’s Vast Size Hampers Rescue Operations, Defence Minister Says

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has said the vast size and difficult terrain of the Sambisa Forest are major factors making it difficult for security forces to quickly rescue people abducted by terrorists.

Musa disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the government’s efforts to tackle terrorism and kidnapping across the country.

According to the minister, security agencies have rescued several abducted Nigerians in recent operations, but terrorists and kidnappers often escape into expansive forest areas before troops can establish their exact locations.

“Efforts have been made. If you notice, on a daily basis now, we are really getting, rescuing a lot of them,” Musa said.

He stressed the enormous size of the Sambisa Forest, saying it was comparable in size to Belgium.

“Sambisa Forest is as big as Belgium, as a country. So when people talk about this, they make it look as if it is one small football field and we are refusing to do anything,” he said.

Musa explained that the difficult terrain gives terrorists an advantage after carrying out attacks, as they can quickly disappear into the forest before security agencies receive information about an abduction.

“These places are massive areas. The forest within Kwara comes in from Burkina Faso to Benin Republic into Nigeria and flows through all these things,” he said.

“So what they do is that once these abductions are done, before the information gets to anybody, these guys are already into the forest.”

The minister said troops sometimes have to cut off terrorists from their escape routes and sources of supplies before they can successfully rescue their victims.

He cited a recent operation in Kwara State, where security forces reportedly rescued abducted persons after restricting the movement of their captors.

“And then the last one that was done in Kwara State, we had to quarantine where they were going, deny them oxygen, and that’s where we were able to get them,” Musa said.

He added that terrorists sometimes abandon their captives when security forces intensify operations against them, creating an opportunity for troops to rescue the victims.

Musa also disclosed that authorities were monitoring financial transactions associated with criminal activities, noting that ransom payments could provide intelligence for tracking kidnappers.

According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria is involved in efforts to monitor suspicious financial transactions linked to criminal activities.

The Defence Minister further urged state governors to exercise caution when distributing motorcycles as palliatives, warning that some of the vehicles could potentially fall into the hands of terrorists and enhance their mobility.

Despite the challenges posed by Nigeria’s vast forests and difficult terrain, Musa maintained that security agencies were making steady progress in their efforts to combat terrorism and kidnapping across the country.