The Nigerian Army has formally launched a new military exercise in the Niger Delta code named “Exercise Crocodile Smile”.

It has a mandate to provide adequate security for residents as well as critical national economic assets in the region.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, flagged-off the exercise on Saturday in Sapele, Delta State.

Addressing the troops, he urged them to respect the rights of law abiding citizens in their areas of operation whom he said were critical to the success of the exercise.

“We are in Warri to flag-off this exercise in order to get our troops prepared for any eventuality .

“We need to keep our country safe. We need to get our economy going without any interruption,” he said.

Increase In Militant Activities

The Chief of Army Staff and his entourage had earlier in separate courtesy visits to the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the Olu of Warri, Godfrey Ikenwoli Emiko, briefed them on the exercise.

After the meeting with the Governor, Lieutenant General Buratai expressed hopes that at the end of the exercise that security would be achieved in the south-south region.

“We hope that the economy will come up again and the facilities and the infrastructures in terms of the oil and gas will be protected and the people around will go about their  normal  businesses without fear of any attack.

“We hope that this will other investors to come around and that those companies that have already declared force majeure,” he told reporters.

The decision to set up the force in the Niger Delta region is not unconnected with  recent increase in militant activities, with a wave of attacks on oil installations.

A group that calls itself the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for most of the recent attacks that has forced some oil companies to declare force majeure.

The group has, however, said it has agreed to a ceasefire and was open for negotiation with the Federal Government.

It is the second operation in the region after the Operation Delta Safe was set up to also quell the resurgence of militancy.

After proclaiming that dialogue is the key, now another fresh launch?
So much noise without results

what a funny govt.....





protecting oyel installations are more
important than loss of human lives
caused by fulani herdsmen and some
religious bigots

Some things are not clear to me for now.Why launch this Operation npw that we are talking about dialogue?It is teally hypocritical that the army wants to take undue credit for the stoppage of militancy in the delta.It is an unnecessary muscle flexing.

Jungle don dey mature.na now them go no say Calabar no be london.

Must you people talk ??

Not to be insensitive here , but how can you justify a human or a few human lives with several thousands of barrels of crude that's being wasted on Nigerian soil ? I mean it's not just dumb thought , that's world class disappointing

How many elderly people have died in Hospitals for no treatment ?? ( power or capital)

How many students have died for engaging get rich quick scheme all because parents couldn't give them enough

How many woman have died in childbirth (power failure and inability to pay bills for CS sections e.t.c)

How many workers have committed suicide or just died because they owe what they can't pay

How many retirees are on the street begging for alms ?

How many workers got sacked

and Finally how many Families are hungry today ??


All because your brothers chose to cut barrels of crude oil from about 900,000 bpd to less than 180,000 bpd ?? cutting Nigeria's income

Which in turn forces government to tax kerosine and other products to sustain itself

Which in turn forces the price of everything in the market up

With no Money in Government coffers to pay workers' salary , what do you expect ??


I guess you'll never see anything wrong in what your brothers are doing , in your obscured mind they are not killing people literally , some even say they are non violent and such cheer them on

but to those of us who are sane and reasonable , Your brothers are killing Nigerians in hundreds of thousands per month , Only that you all get to blame it on Buhari

carmag:
what a funny govt.....

protecting oyel installations are more
important than loss of human lives
caused by fulani herdsmen and some
religious bigots

It was the avengers that choose dialogue, what of other militants in the creek, those that want to declare independence on October 1st? Besides governments have been seeking dialogue all this while which they refused, why is it that now when the military is prepared to defend government installations they now woke up for dialogue?

GMBuhari:
Must you people talk ??

Not to be insensitive here , but how can you justify a human or a few human lives with several thousands of barrels of crude that's being wasted on Nigerian soil ? I mean it's not just dumb thought , that's world class disappointing

How many elderly people have died in Hospitals for no treatment ?? ( power or capital)

How many students have died for engaging get rich quick scheme all because parents couldn't give them enough

How many woman have died in childbirth (power failure and inability to pay bills for CS sections e.t.c)

How many workers have committed suicide or just died because they owe what they can't pay

How many retirees are on the street begging for alms ?

How many workers got sacked

and Finally how many Families are hungry today ??


All because your brothers chose to cut barrels of crude oil from about 900,000 bpd to less than 180,000 bpd ?? cutting Nigeria's income

Which in turn forces government to tax kerosine and other products to sustain itself

Which in turn forces the price of everything in the market up

With no Money in Government coffers to pay workers' salary , what do you expect ??


I guess you'll never see anything wrong in what your brothers are doing , in your obscured mind they are not killing people literally , some even say they are non violent and such cheer them on

but to those of us who are sane and reasonable , Your brothers are killing Nigerians in hundreds of thousands per month , Only that you all get to blame it on Buhari

and fulani herdsmen are doing nigerians favour,huh?