Why Army began ‘Operation Positive Identification’- Buratai

.Says ‘Operation Atilogwu’ not to intimidate Ndigbo

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Thursday, revealed that ‘Operation Positive Identification’ (OPI) that has generated intense controversy is aimed at flushing out and arresting fleeing members of the Boko Haram from the North East and bandits from the North West to safe zones in the country.

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Also, the army chief said that the ‘Operation Atilogwu Udo 1’ which will commence in the South East from today, is not targeted at intimidating Ndigbo, but to curb kidnapping, armed robbery and farmers/headers clash, especially as the yuletide period approaches.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, chaired by Rep. Abdulrazaq Namdas at the National Assembly on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Buratai assured that the ‘Operation Positive Identification’ would not hinder the day-to-day activities of Nigerians and is not meant to intimidate and harass law-abiding citizens.

Represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Usman Muhammed, Lt. Gen. Buratai said that the new operation is complementary to the ‘Operation Lafia Dole’ in the North East and other subsidiary operations in the North West and North Central where successes have been recorded.

According to him, based on credible intelligence received by the army in collaboration with other security and intelligence services on the Boko Haram terrorists, the terrorists no longer feel safe in their enclaves because of the onslaught of the military and as such as fleeing to safe havens in other parts of the country.

The ‘Operation Positive Identification,’ he therefore, explained is to enable the army acting in concert with sister agencies and services to apprehend the fleeing terrorists, bandits and other criminals from their traditional strongholds to places considered safe for them.

Already, he disclosed that the operation has commenced since September 22 in the North East, adding that the military has 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 Udo in the South East and Crocodile Smile in the South South 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.

Lt. Gen. Buratai said that some insurgents have been arrested since the operation began in the North East where it is still ongoing.

He assured the House members that the civilians would not notice any change in their day-to-day activities and that there would not be extra boots and check points on the ground, while the rules of engagement and code of conduct for men and officers taking part in the operation would be thoroughly enforced.

Other security agencies participating in the operation, he said, include the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), among others.

“The exercise is nothing too different; it is something that is going to assist us add value to what we are doing in the North East,” he stated, revealing that President Muhammadu Buhari, the minister of defence and the chief of defence staff have approved the manoeuvre.

Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Army, Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC/Adamawa), said that the House has it on good authority that the army intends to commence OPI on November 1 nationwide.

He said that majority of Nigerians were apprehensive about the objectives of the operation and as such have raised alarm about its implementation.

Namdas said that though the major role of the army is to safeguard the territorial integrity of Nigeria, however, when there are critical internal security challenges, the army can be invited since internal security if the sole function of the police.

“Giving the quantity of issues at hand, we are shocked to hear that the military is adding to its authority by taking the job of the police or immigration.

“So, we felt that it was necessary for us to sit down with the military; you have your roles to play and we expect that you cannot add for yourself, especially roles not envisaged in the constitution.

“Today’s military is subservient to the civil rule and you take authority from the civil authority; as a parliament, we will not rely only on information in the media and so we called you to explain more,” he said.

Namdas said that the committee and indeed, Nigerians need to know what the OPI is about and how it would be implemented.

In a related development, Lt. Gen. Buratai spoke in Enugu at a two-day Civil-Media-Military Relations Summit organised for journalists, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the zone with the theme ‘Galvanising citizens support for Military operations in Nigeria through the Media’ which held at 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

General Buratai, who was represented by the Director Training and Operations, Major General Enobong Udoh, said the summit was organised to enlighten journalists on the upcoming operation and the need to educate the public to go about their normal businesses.

He noted that the operation which would be done with the support of other security agencies would curb the danger associated with kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes, adding that the operation would ensure crime free yuletide period in the zone.

“We are not targeting any good citizen of the zone rather we are targeting the criminals. The operation would help our brothers from the zone to come back and enjoy their yuletide period. The fear of being kidnapped would no longer be there. People will come home without fear of any kidnap or robbery attacks,” he stated

Buratai, who frowned at the rate Nigeria Army is painted black by a section of the media, called on the media to always support and encourage the military to carry out their activities.

He stated that the military has a taskforce which checkmates the activities of its men along the expressways, adding that military personal on road blocks that extort money from motorists are constantly been arrested and punished.

In a remark, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Brig.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, noted that “Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1’’ was not meant to witch-hunt anybody, but a means to improve the security and physical environment of the zone.

Adegboye said that the exercise was primarily meant to check kidnapping, armed robbery, arson, cultism and other heinous crime in the zone, adding that the exercise would also carry out some community social works.

“In the exercise, there will be sanitation, clearing of drains, medical outreaches, road construction, educational support and other social works carried out in selected communities in the South-East and 82 Division Area of Responsibility,’’ he said.

The Daily Times report that the operation “Atilogwu Udo 1” replaces Operation ‘Python dance’ in the South East region.