The Nigerian military on Wednesday announced it will launch a series of tactical drills in Enugu from weekend, days after threatening the use of force in neighbouring Niger Delta where militants have attacked oil and gas installations for months.
The
announcement for the drills, codenamed “Operation Crocodile Tears”, came about
48 hours after the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, warned that the military
would resort to force if talks with the militants failed.
Mr.
Buratai’s warning in Port Harcourt on Monday was denounced by a bloc of
militant groups in the region: the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta, MEND.
Governor
Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State also deplored the threat of military action,
saying it would not resolve the crisis. He urged sustained dialogue.
“The
Nigerian Army will from this weekend commence another training exercise code
named ‘EXERCISE CROCODILE SMILE’ in 82 Division and part of 2 Division areas of
responsibility traversing the South-South geo-political region,” the army
announced on Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday.
“The
aim of the exercise is to practice our Special Forces and other units of the
Nigerian Army in Amphibious and Internal Security Operations in riverine
environment and also check criminal activities like kidnapping, militancy and
piracy and other forms of criminal activities in support of the civil
authority.
“The
general public is please requested not to panic on the sight of unusual
movement of large number of troops, heavy military weapons and equipment in
these areas.”
A
source in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, told Premium Times on Wednesday of
massive movement of troops and equipment towards the south east and south south
region.
-Premium Times
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