Sambisa Forest is a forest located in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. It lies in the southwestern part of the Chad Basin National Park, about 60 km southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. It spans an area of approximately 518 km².
Geography
Sambisa Forest is situated at the northeastern edge of the West Sudanian Savanna, bordering the Sahel Savannah. It spans parts of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, and Bauchi States, extending into Darazo, Jigawa, and some areas of Kano State.
The forest is administered by the local governments of:
- Askira/Uba (south)
- Damboa (southwest)
- Konduga and Jere (west)
The forest takes its name from the village of Sambisa, near Gwoza on the eastern border. The Gwoza Hills, with peaks reaching 1,300 meters above sea level, form part of the Mandara Mountains along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.
It is drained by seasonal streams that feed into the Yedseram and Ngadda Rivers.
Climate
- Type: Hot and semi-arid
- Min Temperature: ~21.5°C (Dec–Feb)
- Max Temperature: ~48°C (May)
- Average Annual Temperature: ~28–29°C
- Rainfall:
- Dry Season: November to May
- Wet Season: May to October
- Annual Rainfall: ~190 mm
Flora
Sambisa Forest exhibits vegetation typical of the Sudanian Savanna, though some areas resemble the Sahel due to human activity.
- Vegetation: Mix of open woodland and dense thickets of short trees (~2 m) and thorny bushes (0.5–1 m)
- Major Species Include:
- Tallow
- Rubber
- Wild black plum
- Birch
- Date palm
- Mesquite
- Acacia
- Monkey bread
- Red bushwillow
- Baobab
- Jackalberry
- Tamarind
- Terminalia
Birds and Mammals
According to BirdLife International, 62 bird species have been recorded, including:
- Guinea fowl
- Francolin
- Village weaver
- Abyssinian ground hornbill
- Arabian bustard
- Savile’s bustard
- African collared-dove
- Chestnut-bellied starling
- Black scrub-robin
- Sudan golden sparrow
It was also one of the last known habitats of the ostrich in Nigeria.
As of 2010, 17 species of mammals were recorded:
- Baboon
- Patas monkey
- Tantalus monkey
- Grimm's duiker
- Red-fronted gazelle
- African bush elephant
- Roan antelope
- Hartebeest
- African leopard
- Spotted hyena
However, numbers have declined sharply due to:
- Poaching
- Deforestation for fuel
- Agricultural encroachment
- Boko Haram insurgency
A 2006 aerial survey recorded only five large wild animal species.
Sambisa Game Reserve
- Established: Colonial period
- Original Area: ~2,258 km²
- Later Area: ~518 km² (some documents included Marguba Forest Reserve)
History:
- Used for safaris from 1970
- Wildlife included leopards, lions, elephants, hyenas
- Tourists stayed in cabins and lodges
- In 1991, incorporated into the Chad Basin National Park
Decline:
- Management was abandoned after Boko Haram takeover in 2013
- Lodges destroyed, vegetation overgrew roads, rivers dried up, animals vanished
Boko Haram Conflict
The forest, especially the Gwoza mountains, became a stronghold for Boko Haram and is believed to be where hostages from the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping (April 2014) were held.
Timeline of Events:
- April 2015: Nigerian Army overran 4 Boko Haram camps, freed ~300 girls/women (not the Chibok girls)
- 30 April 2015: Destroyed 13 more camps, freed 234 additional captives near Kawuri and Konduga
- 4 November 2015: 5 Brigade Task Group cleared 5 Boko Haram camps in Marte LGA, killed 2 insurgents
- 18 May 2016: One Chibok girl found by militia in Sambisa; 218 still missing at the time
- May 2021: Forest captured by ISWAP after battles with Boko Haram
- March 2022: Wreckage of missing Nigerian Alpha Jet discovered in the forest
References
- Media related to Sambisa Forest at Wikimedia Commons(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sambisa_Forest)