Reno Omokri, former New Media aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the recent declaration by the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, that Sambisa is as big as Enugu, has vindicated him.
In June 2014, Omokri, tweeted that Sambisa Forest was larger than the whole of Lagos and Nigerians should commend the armed forces for the difficult job of routing terrorists from the forest. He was accused of lying by loyalists of the then opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, who attacked his claim and widely mocked him.
However, Buratai speaking to the officers and men of the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army on Thursday vindicated Omokri by confirming that Sambisa is not only bigger than Lagos state, it is also bigger than Enugu state.
“We are already in Sambisa forest, but Sambisa is as big as Enugu state, which needs thorough planning for logistics and other manpower needed,” he said.
He further said that the size of Sambisa “accounts for the delay in flushing out the insurgents.” In terms of size, Enugu state is 7,161 km2 (2,765 sq mi) while Lagos state is just half of the size of Enugu state at 3,577 km2 (1,381 sq mi). Reno Omokri had repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the army over the issue of sweeping Sambisa off terrorists, an appeal that was dismissed by the then opposition.