Boko Haram hideout 'Sambisa Forest' to be turned into tourist centre

Nigeria's army chief Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has revealed ambitious plans to turn the vast north-eastern

Sambisa forest, a hideout for militant Islamists 'Boko Haram' into a tourist centre.

He said that the military would work with the country's National Park Service to help with the

restoration of the forest, where tourists could enjoy the wildlife.

Boko Haram militants have used parts of the 60,000 sq km (37,000 sq miles) forest as a hideout as

they conduct an insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country. The Nigerian army has however

claimed several times that it has kicked out the militants from the massive forest.

Confirming the development, Bashir Ahmad, the personal assistant to President Buhari tweeted,

'Nigerian Army to collaborate with National Park Service and Borno State Government to turn

Sambisa forest to tourist centre to attract tourists into the country'.