Gen. Irabor, who gave an update on “Operation Rescue Final’’ in Maiduguri, said: “We believe that the Holy Book and the flag were abandoned by Abubakar Shekau while he escaped.
“The book will be taken to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai, for onward presentation to Mr President. “We have also made a lot of arrests. Our troops in Damboa arrested about 15 Boko Haram members. We also arrested one Musa from Potiskum on Christmas Day.
“On Dec. 26 our troops also intercepted two Boko Haram suspects in Maiduguri. “We, therefore, warn residents of the state to be wary of people coming to hide in and around their houses.
Gen. Irabor added that troops arrested about 1,240 suspected terrorists during a mop-up operation by troops inside the forest.
According to him, 413 of the suspects were adults; 323 were women; 251 male children and 253 were female children.
He said: “We are interrogating them to know whether they are Boko Haram members, because there is no way somebody that is not their member would live inside Sambisa forest.
“We are still on the trail of the terrorists and I want to assure you that all escape routes have been blocked.
“Within this period, also, about 30 fleeing suspected Boko Haram members have surrendered to the Niger Multinational Troops on the shores of the lake Chad and we learnt that they were taken to Diffa in Niger Republic.
“The suspects include 24 male and six female. “We would like to use this opportunity to encourage the terrorists to give up the fight because the window is still open,” the commander said.
He said the activities of the army in the area would not affect the original purpose of the land which is a game reserve.
He added that the army would construct roads into the forest, and called on the government and other individuals to support the army in its endeavour to succeed in the fight.
He said the operation was still on going at the Sambisa forest and other parts of the North East to ensure a total wipe out of the terrorists
Gen. Irabor pleaded with individuals and organisations to assist the military with useful information about the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in their midst and support or logistics to end the insurgency completely and permanently.
“Let me state that we have won the war by destroying terrorists’ fortress, and smoked them out from this forest. We are however in a transition phase after winning the war against Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism. We need to win the peace now”
The Theatre Commander also denied the picture of a Whiteman being circulated on the social media as a suspect arrested by troops during the operation in Sambisa forest.
“That picture of the Whiteman being circulated as an arrested Boko Haram suspect from Sambisa Forest is not from us. That picture is not from the army. It is not our picture”, Gen. Irabor said.
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