A report released by a human rights group has applauded the success of Nigerian Army’s Operation Python Dance III in the south-east.
The report, released by the Human Rights and Crime Monitoring Group (HRCMG) yesterday, was made available to newsmen in Lagos as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Daily Trust recalled that the military launched the third exercise early this year to contain the surge in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, human trafficking and other crimes in the South-East and parts of the South-South regions.
After a successful seven-month exercise by the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, the group expressed satisfaction with the military’s performance in quelling the security challenges in the southeast.
The group, a coalition of Nigerian intellectuals and professionals that monitors human rights concerns and security issues majorly in the South-East and South-South geo-political zones of the country, hailed the peaceful atmosphere in the region as the country marks its 58th anniversary.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Werigbelegha Zinake, the group said: “The training exercise was successfully concluded without any major unanticipated incident. The exercise included deployment of troops to strategic locations in the zone.
“The duration of the exercise saw the entire south-east witnessing fewer crimes, while the south-east based separatists were unable to prevent people from going about their legitimate businesses. A purported sit-at-home order made by the IPOB within this period of time was rejected by the populace.
“There were attempts by separatist elements, mostly of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, and its affiliates to sabotage the exercise using propaganda intended to incite the populace against the Nigerian Army. This however failed to yield any meaningful impact unlike during Python Dance 2 and shows that the Nigerian Army has largely improved on its operation coordination and civil military relations within the period.
“The propaganda deployed by IPoB, including claims that troops were extorting motorists, failed to dent the integrity of Army personnel who had earlier been charged to adhere to the highest level of professionalism and the observance of the rules of engagement. This was further proven by our researchers who went out with security cameras to take photographs of the Nigerian Army personnel at the various locations whilst out on their duties.
“The preponderance of reactions in the zone is for the Army to not only sustain the exercise on an annual basis but to explore the possibility of increasing its frequency because of the latent threat posed by separatists and other criminal elements due to the economic viability of the region.
“Even with these positive outcomes, an Abuja-based lawyer, Oleka Udenze, filed a suit against the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army and other parties to challenge the conduct of the exercise.
“This action is considered by our Coalition as an affront on the fundamental objective of any government to protect the lives and properties of its citizens and hereby wish to unequivocally state that is against the rights of others in the society. We will therefore be making an official representation to the court to defend the Nigerian Army without any financial cost to the military or the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The group further urged the Army to sustain the Python Dance as an annual exercise and even consider the prospect of holding it twice a year.
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