The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai has said that Operation Positive Identification (OPI) would not hinder the day-to-day activities of Nigerians.
Buratai made this known while fielding questions from the House of Representatives Committee on Army in Abuja.
Represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Usman Muhammed, Buratai said that the army had submitted a detailed report on the OPI to the committee.
He said that the military was involved in ‘Operation Lafia Dole’ in the North East, adding that there were other subsidiary operations within the major operation.
Buratai said that the OPI was one of the subsidiary operations which is ongoing in the North East zone.
He said, based on credible intelligence, Boko Haram terrorists were no longer in their enclaves. He said the terrorists were making a lot of in routs, spreading out away from their traditional strongholds.
Buratai said that the OPI, which started on Sept. 22 in the North East, was based on the intelligence.
Buratai added that the military had a tradition of initiating operations towards the end of the year to reduce crime during the Yuletide.
“We have exercise Ayama Kpatuma in the North Central, Atilogwu Udor in the South East and Crocodile Smile in the South South, which are aimed at addressing the security challenges in those zones.
“It is a training exercise and at the same time, it is a true operation whereby we use the opportunity to carry out activities to checkmate criminality and crime within those areas.
“This time around, we feel that we can extend the OPI to some of these areas where we are going to conduct some of these exercises,” he said.
He explained that the OPI is an intelligence-led activity based on credible information by which the army go to specific areas and effect arrests.
Buratai said that some insurgents had been arrested through the process in the North East where the operation is ongoing.
He said that the citizens would not notice any change in their day-to-day activities and that there would not be extra check points.
Buratai said that there would not be additional troops on the streets and the rules of engagement would be thoroughly observed.
He said that the operation was in collaboration with other security agencies like National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Service (DSS) among others.
Earlier, the Chairman, Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa) said that the House had it on good authority that the Army intended to commence OPI on November 1 nationwide.
He said that majority of Nigerians understand the OPI as carrying some form of identification when they go about their daily activities.
Namdas said that the committee and indeed, Nigerians needed to know what the OPI is about and how it would be implemented.
Rep. Prestige Ehiriodu (APGA-Abia) urged the army to put on a human face when carrying out the operation. (NAN)
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