The Borno State Government has declared December 22 ‘Sambisa Memorial Day’ to commemorate the fall of the terrorists who held the place in captive.
The holiday will be known as ‘Sambisa Memorial Day’. While explaining the reasons behind the declaration of the memorial day, Governor Kashim Shettima says: “This day will be marked as Public Holiday in Borno for the purpose of celebrating the strength and the victory of our Armed Forces.”
“The Borno Government will do everything possible to ensure that the patriotism of our heroes is supremely preserved and not taken for granted,” the governor said. The governor also seized the opportunity to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for making the forest a safe place.
“Based on Buhari’s announcement, the Sambisa forest became deceased or dead at about 1.35 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2016.
“Three months after its demise, today marks the official funeral of the Sambisa Forest. I am proud to have witnessed this funeral and I congratulate all of us for being witnesses to the triumph of good over evil,” he said.
Governor Shettima also said that in an effort to document the military fight against the dreaded terrorists, the state government is considering setting up a museum in the area.
He continued, “The fall of Sambisa is both symbolic and memorable and that is why as a government, we are taking steps to preserve the history behind the fall of Sambisa. And to spectacularly document the roles played by everyone from the Commander-in-Chief, our service commanders and soldiers.
“Very soon, the state government will respectively request for partnership with the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Federal Ministry of Information to construct a museum that will be named Sambisa Fall and International Research Centre,” he said.
“The centre will also help to preserve valuable materials recovered by the military in relation to the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and to document history of the crisis from the days of Taliban to the Boko Haram terrorism. “Importantly, our aim is to document responses by successive political and military leadership and the eventual fall of Sambisa forest under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We hope that such a museum will become a global custodian of information and valuable materials on issues relating to the Boko Haram and the role played by the Nigerian military and the multi-national forces.
“We will propose that the museum should have a hall of fame for fallen heroes which will bear names and pictures of notable officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“Also, the hall of fame will bear the names of the paramilitary, the Civilian JTF and the hunters who paid supreme price in helping to free us from Boko Haram terrorists,” he concluded.