Sambisa Forest, located in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, spans vast semi-arid woodlands and savanna, covering parts of several states including Yobe, Gombe, and Bauchi. Once a thriving game reserve established during British colonial rule and gazetted in 1958, it was home to diverse wildlife like elephants, leopards, hyenas, ostriches, and numerous bird species amid acacia and baobab trees.
In the 1970s, it attracted tourists for safaris, offering a glimpse of Nigeria's rich biodiversity. However, poaching, deforestation, and later abandonment due to security issues led to the decline of its animal populations.
The Rise as a Terrorist EnclaveTragically, Sambisa transformed into one of the most notorious hideouts for Islamist insurgents. Since the early 2010s, it became a primary base for Boko Haram, the jihadist group founded by Mohammed Yusuf and later led by Abubakar Shekau. The forest's dense terrain, vast size (around 60,000 square kilometers), hilly regions like the Gwoza Hills near the Cameroon border, and natural cover made it an ideal sanctuary; shielding fighters from airstrikes, enabling training camps, weapon storage, and hostage holding.
The forest gained global infamy in April 2014 with the kidnapping of over 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, many believed to be held in Sambisa. It served as a launchpad for attacks, contributing to thousands of deaths and displacements during the insurgency's peak.
The forest gained global infamy in April 2014 with the kidnapping of over 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, many believed to be held in Sambisa. It served as a launchpad for attacks, contributing to thousands of deaths and displacements during the insurgency's peak.
Fractures and Factional Fighting
In 2016, Boko Haram split: Shekau's faction (Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, or JAS) retained Sambisa, while the breakaway Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), aligned with ISIS, operated mainly around Lake Chad. Ideological differences—Shekau's indiscriminate violence versus ISWAP's more "governed" approach—led to rivalry.
The turning point came in May 2021 when ISWAP launched a major offensive, overrunning Sambisa, cornering Shekau (who reportedly killed himself), and capturing much of the forest. Many JAS fighters defected or surrendered, weakening the original Boko Haram. ISWAP gained control, establishing a chain of strongholds and using the forest's strategic roads toward Maiduguri.
The turning point came in May 2021 when ISWAP launched a major offensive, overrunning Sambisa, cornering Shekau (who reportedly killed himself), and capturing much of the forest. Many JAS fighters defected or surrendered, weakening the original Boko Haram. ISWAP gained control, establishing a chain of strongholds and using the forest's strategic roads toward Maiduguri.
