Written by Chioma Gabriel, Emeka Mamah and Chimaobi Nwaiwu
~Vanguard Nigeria. Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
*Army dedicates phone lines to S-East operation
*Rights group condemns military siege
Onitsha - The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, worldwide and its Directorate of State, DOS, said it has launched Operation David Dance in response to the Army’s Operation Python Dance.
It, however, advised its members and other Biafrans to avoid anything that would make them clash with the Operation Python Dancers , saying it has discovered a grand plan by the military to murder more south easterners in the name of providing security.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, said: "We have launched our own "Operation David Dance" which is recognized by God Almighty in the Bible. It was used by King David to dance against Goliath and all his bragging at the battle front.
"We are also aware that the world knows that the annual report from Amnesty International against the cold blooded killing of unarmed members of IPOB in Biafra land by the Nigerian security agents is correct and even the soldiers know that the report did not reveal details and other atrocities of the blood thirsty soldiers.
"Our Operation David Dance will do to the military what David did to Goliath in the battlefield. The only difference is that we are not using weapons, but the spiritual warfare backed by Chukwu Okike Abiama that disgraced them with the Amnesty International report.
"The world will never stop blaming them for killing innocent civilians and this is now gathering momentum around the world. That is why they are running to cover the crime committed in a broad daylight.”
Army dedicates phone lines in S-East
Meantime, the Nigerian Army has dedicated some telephone lines to the South-East by way of modifying Operation Python Dance in the zone.
A statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, has urged the public to call any of the dedicated GSM lines for information and help during its operation in the south east.
The statement read: "The general public is hereby requested to please call any of the following dedicated GSM phone numbers for any information or request for help during the ongoing Exercise Python Dance in the South-East :
.Headquarters 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State- 07068688482.
.Headquarters 302 Artillery Regiment, Awka, Anambra State- 07011115583.
.Headquarters 24 Support Engineer Regiment, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State -09053974736.
.Headquarters 82 Division Garrison, Enugu, Enugu State -08063282844.
.Headquarters 34 Brigade, Owerri, Imo State- 08171609638 and 08065642870."
Rights group condemns military siege
But a rights group, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, has asked the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the reasons for the current siege on the South-East by the military when there was no major political or civil unrest in the region, saying the development was a major assault on the freedom of movement of Ndigbo as a people.
In a statement, entitled: "Militarization of South East Nigeria: A Clear Case of Grave Violation of the Rights to Freedom of Movement and Freedom from Discrimination," in Enugu, CRRAN President, Olu Omatayo, noted: "The South-East states of Nigeria, which had hitherto been very peaceful, has come under siege as the men of Nigerian Army took over major roads of south east states with massive deployment of its' personnel in its' so-called "Operation Python Dance."
According to the statement, "the question that readily comes to mind is: what is the reason for this deliberate assault on the freedom of movement of the inhabitants of this region?
"To enter the southeast of Nigeria through the only road from western Nigeria, the head bridge, Onitsha is like a carmel passing through the eye of a needle. Massive presence of the military which mounted several road blocks in this region suggests a region under siege.
"The several roadblocks have created terrible traffic hold up in the affected areas.
“The present Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, though a civilian regime, has not come to terms that in any democratic society, the fundamental rights of the citizens prevail. There has not been any incident or glaring acts of threat to the peace by any group in the region to support this invasion.”
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Gov. Obiano welcomes “exercise python dance” to Anambra, solicits co-operation for army
~Vanguard Nigeria. Tuesday, December 6, 2016.
Gov. Willy Obiano of Anambra on Tuesday welcomed the launch of the "Exercise Python Dance" by the Nigerian Army in the state and urged the people to cooperate with army in sustaining the relative peace in Anambra.
"They are not Army of occupation as being labelled by some people, especially on the online media.
"Nobody will be molested," Obiano told the people but warned criminal elements to steer clear of the state as the exercise would not be friendly to them.
He recalled that when he took over the mantle of leadership of the state, there was insecurity, making many indigenes to stay away from the state.
The governor, however, noted that the trend had been reversed with the task force he had set up to deal with the situation, adding that incidents of kidnapping and other forms of criminality had been checked in the state.
In a remark at the launch, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the exercise was a training programme like others launched in other parts of the country.
Buratai stressed that the exercise was part of the Army's constitutional responsibility to aid civil authority in maintaining internal security.
He warned that those who would want to disrupt the peace of the state would have themselves to blame.
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Gov. Obiano welcomes “exercise python dance” to Anambra, solicits co-operation for army
~Vanguard Nigeria. Tuesday, December 6, 2016.
Gov. Willy Obiano of Anambra on Tuesday welcomed the launch of the "Exercise Python Dance" by the Nigerian Army in the state and urged the people to cooperate with army in sustaining the relative peace in Anambra."They are not Army of occupation as being labelled by some people, especially on the online media.
"Nobody will be molested," Obiano told the people but warned criminal elements to steer clear of the state as the exercise would not be friendly to them.
He recalled that when he took over the mantle of leadership of the state, there was insecurity, making many indigenes to stay away from the state.
The governor, however, noted that the trend had been reversed with the task force he had set up to deal with the situation, adding that incidents of kidnapping and other forms of criminality had been checked in the state.
In a remark at the launch, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the exercise was a training programme like others launched in other parts of the country.
Buratai stressed that the exercise was part of the Army's constitutional responsibility to aid civil authority in maintaining internal security.
He warned that those who would want to disrupt the peace of the state would have themselves to blame.
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