President Muhammadu Buhari has said the attention of the Army would always be required to tackle numerous security challenges across the country.

Speaking at the closing of the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship at Sambia, the president urged troops to use the skills they acquired in the competition to improve their performance.

Buhari said remember security challenges abound in the country that would continue to require the attention of the Nigerian army and indeed the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The president who spoke through Chief of Defence of Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, said holding the exercise in Sambisa indicated that normalcy had returned to Borno, and indeed the North-East.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai has directed the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, to route remnants of Boko Haram terrorists from their hiding places in the “next few weeks.’’

Buratai said troops would continue to dominate the forest with the fall of Camp Zero, the last strong hold of the Boko Haram, and vowed that the terrorists would never be allowed to re-occupy the area, saying to ensure this, exercises including training, would continue to be held in the forest.

He also directed the Commandant, Nigeria Defence Academy, to ensure henceforth, final exercises of passing out cadets were held in the forest.

Nine Divisions of the Nigerian army, 1,2,3,6, 7, 8, 81, 82 and Army Headquarters Garrison participated in the exercise.

7 Division, Maiduguri, emerged the winner of the championship, 82 Div., Enugu, came second, while Army headquarters Garrison took the third position.

Apart from trophies, they were rewarded by the chief of army with N2 million, N1.5 million and N1 million in that order.

Ten participants took part in the shooting competition including: AK47 riffle, FN riffle, pistol and female Ak47 shooting.

All the Service Chiefs, representative of the Inspector-General of Police and Defence Attaches of various countries in Nigeria attended the ceremony which also featured display of “fire power’’ by the army and Air Force.