Nigerian Army will hold the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms (NASA) championship in Sambisa to enhance its presence in the forest.

Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major-General Lucky Irabor, stated this during a press conference on Operation Rescue Final at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, on Wednesday.

Irabor said other exercises such as military training and test of arms and equipment would also be conducted in the forest in order “to completely dominate the area.

He said the Army said had arrested about 1,240 suspected Boko Haram terrorists during a mop-up operation by troops inside the Sambisa forest.

Irabor said 413 of the suspects were adults; 323 were female adults; 251 male children, while 253 were female children, saying the suspects were apprehended during a mop-up operation against the sect members in the forest.

He said the Army had recovered Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau’s, Qur’an and flag in Camp Zero, the sect headquarters in Sambisa forest.