Buratai Flags Off NA’s ‘Operation Crocodile Smile 111 in Bakassi to tackle Kidnapping, Militancy, Oil Theft

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday 23 October 2018 flgged off “Operation Crocodile Smile 111, the special military operation comprising troops of 6 division.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said at the occassion that the exercise the Army will tackle kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy and other crimes in Cross River.

He stated this at the commencement of the “Operation’’ in Bakassi Local Government Area of the state.

Buratai, who was represented by Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Kabuk, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Enugu, said that the operation was a training exercise to help soldiers of 13 Brigade to showcase their military proficiency.

According to him, the exercise was designed to include riverside and land operation with a view to monitoring the creeks by tackling kidnapping of personalities, militancy and curbing the menace of armed robbery.

He said, “This exercise has been designed to enable officers and soldiers of 13 Brigade to show their proficiency in internal security.

“The land operation will be conducted to check armed robbery, communal clashes, stop and search of vehicles among others.

“The riverside operation will equally help us to check the activities of militancy and kidnapping of personalities across the creeks.

“In addition to the exercise, we will also carry out medical outreach in host communities and schools.

“As we do this, it will also help us to maintain peace and order and create a conducive environment as we approach the 2019 general elections,’’ he said.

The COAS urged soldiers to deal with criminals based on the rules of engagement.

Earlier, the Commander, 13 Brigade, Calabar, Brig.-Gen. Charles Okulide, had said that 800 security personnel drawn from the Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Immigration would participate in the one month exercise.

Okulide said that the initiative was to foster inter-agency relationship among security agencies in the state, thereby expressing confidence that the exercise would be hitch-free.

He disclosed that the formation had made giant efforts in curbing heinous crime in the state through sustained collaboration of other security agencies.

On his part, the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, said that the Army had remained disciplined and very professional in the discharge of its constitutional duties.

Ayade said that the exercise would ensure the state recorded crises-free polls in 2019 and during the annual Calabar Carnival.

According to him, the exercise will also reduce the proliferation of arms through the Cameroon border at Ikang, Bakassi.

The governor called on all security agencies to work in harmony with a view to bringing the security challenges across the country under control.

“As the 2019 general elections draw closer, I want to use this opportunity to warn politicians to desist from moving arms and sponsoring violence at polling units.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, I will work with security agencies to ensure that anyone caught is prosecuted,’’ he said.

In a similar vein, Lt. Gen Buratsi has stated that the Nigerian Army will sanction personnel for indecisive act in operations.

The Army Chief warned that any officer or soldier whose indecisive act will lead to killing of personnel in an operation would be sanctioned.

He said that the sanction would include Court Martial.

Buratai gave the warning while addressing troops of 2 Division, Ibadan, on Tuesday and charged personnel deployed in various operations across the country to be decisive or be decisively dealt.

He, however, advised those engaged in operations to act in line with the rules of engagement, “be professional and respect human rights’’.

“While we are working hard to stabilise the situation in the North-East, we must maintain the tempo of operation in areas where we have challenges like kidnapping and banditry.

“Any situation that tends to breach security, you must tackle it decisively when called upon to aid civil authorities.

“If you don’t act decisively, criminals will decisively deal with you. We will not tolerate where our personnel are killed,” he said.

The army chief also used the occasion to restate against honbobbing with politicians by officers and soldiers saying that dire consequencies awaited whoever was caught doing that.

He assured that troops wefare as well ss that of their fsmilies was being given attention.

The Army Chief inaugurated a number of projects in the 2 dividion and on Monday in Oshogbo inaugurated the ballistics vests production facility of the Nigerian Machine Tools facility where he ordered 10,000 vests for troops.

Agency Report