The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, on Friday explained that the Nigerian Army decided to embark on Operations Python Dance II and Crocodile Smile II in the South-east and Southsouth geopolitical zones of the country in order to tackle rising challenges of militancy, kidnapping and pipeline vandalism.
Buratai in his address at the executive session of the 13th All Editors’ National Conference 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, disclosed that peration Mesa in states in the North and the Middle Belt was aimed at tackling challenges of cattle rustling, herdsmen-farmers clashes and kidnapping.
The chief of army staff who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major-General Enobong Udoh,said the exercises were aimed at focusing the personnel to relative professional scenarios as against stimulated training sessions.
He said: “Our country is faced with a plethora of threats ranging from Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast with several others such as armed banditry, cattle rustling, armed robbery, piracy, militancy, cultism and cult-related violence, kidnapping and hostage-taking, pipeline vandalism, Illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft, Illegal refining of petroleum, herdsmen-farmers clashes, activities of IPOB and other separatist groups,” he said.
