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 to safe zones in the country.
Also, the army chief said that the ‘Operation Atilogwu Udo 1’ which will commence in the South East on Friday 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.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has filed a suit against the Nigerian Army, it’s Chief of Army Staff and the Attorney-General of the Federation, praying for an order to stop the planned kick-off of the Operation Positive Identification by the Nigerian Army.
The suit marked FHC/L/CS/1939/2019 was filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos on October 25.
The Senior Advocate had in a letter published on the 27th of October, stated that the decision of the authorities of the Nigerian Army to subject law abiding citizens to personal identification on the road constitutes a gross infringement of their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to freedom of movement and dignity.
He further stated that it is a sad reminder of the illegal practice of the white minority rulers which compelled Africans to carry pass books outside their homelands or designated areas under the apartheid regime in South Africa.
