- The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-
Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said
python dance will target
bandits, rustlers, terrorists,
kidnappers and other
miscreants - The Army chief said the
exercise which started on
January 1 and will be
concluded on February 28 The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.
Tukur Buratai, has expressed
confidence that the ongoing
“Exercise Egwu Eke III will
swallow all the bandits, rustlers,
terrorists, kidnappers, robbers and militants†in the country. Buratai gave the assurance when
he launched the exercise
otherwise known as `Python
Dance’ in Lagos. He also assured that the python “will also swallow thugs and
other miscreants that may
raise their heads to disturb
peace in the country’’ at its conclusion in February. According to him, it will address
the issue of fake news and
unpatriotic elements that are
impeding military operations and
demoralising forces at the
expense of national security. He described the exercise as a
realistic training package in
internal security operations,
clearance operations, emergency
management, rescue operations,
road blocks, cordon and search as well as anti–kidnapping and
anti-cultism. READ ALSO: Nobody can turn Buhari against me, it is impossible
- Amosun The Army launched the exercise
on January 1 and will be
concluded on February 28. It said it was being conducted to
dance nationwide, to tackle
already “observed upsurge’’ in
security challenges as the 2019
general elections drew nearer. Egwu Eke I and II were
conducted in 2016 and 2017 to
address peculiar security
challenges in the South-East geo-
political zone, particularly during
Yuletide. The army chief, therefore,
charged troops involved in the
exercise to deal decisively with
suspected criminals, but observe
the rule of engagement and
ensure the right of law abiding citizens were protected. He used the occasion to advise
journalists that it was necessary
that they safeguarded national
security, while reporting issues of
defence and security. Buratai noted that “defence and national security was not all
comers’ affairs.’’ “No one is permitted to
divulge any information that is
injurious to national security “This is contained in the
Official Secret Act 1962. “Section 1(3) of this Act
states that a person who
transmits any classified
matter to a person to whom is
not authorised on behalf of
the government to transmit it; or obtains, reproduces or
retains any classified matter
which he is not authorised on
behalf of the government to
obtain, reproduce or retain, as
the case may be, is guilty of an offence.’’ Buratai further called for
concerted effort to save the
country from the claws of
unpatriotic elements fighting to
pull it down. “Giving out official
information or spreading fake
news is inimical to national
security.’’ PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 news app Governor Akinwumi Ambode
commended the military for the
attention being given to security in
the state and assured it of
support to make the exercise a
success. Represented by his Special
Adviser on Security, Mr Adekunle
Ajanaku, the governor, however,
noted that there were resurgence
of militancy and oil bunkering in
the state, particularly at Ikorodu area. He, therefore, appealed to the
army chief to help in tackling
those menace through Egwu Eke
III and other ongoing exercise
like “Awatse.’’ Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier
reported that troops of 8 Division
of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto
state arrested seven suspected hoodlums accused of causing mayhem, extorting and
threatening the lives of innocent
citizens along Sokoto-Gusau
road. Legit.ng gathers that the
disclosure was made by acting
deputy director of army public
relations, Major Clement Abiade,
who said the suspects were
being profiled.
