- There is a conspiracy to exterminate Biafra – IPOB
- It’s not true, law abiding residents have nothing to fear – Army
Indications have emerged that pro-Biafra agitators in the South East may be one of the main targets of the third edition of the annual military training operation, codenamed ‘Operation Python Dance, scheduled to begin soon in that part of the country.
This is coming as the announcement of the exercise is already making the people of the area jittery, with fears and anxiety gripping most of the residents of the region.
The Point’s investigation revealed that last week’s announcement by the Nigerian Army of the commencement of the military exercise, also known as ‘Exercise Egwu Eke III’, had sent shock waves into the spines of people of the South East geo-political zone of the country.
While notifying the people of the region of the planned exercise, the Army had specifically warned pro-Biafra agitators to steer clear of the area during the military operations, as it urged all law abiding citizens to go about their legitimate, lawful and genuine businesses.
The General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Boman Kabuk, who made the announcement, had said, during his familiarisation visit to the 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support), Onitsha, Anambra State, that the annual military exercise would commence in all the South East states and units under his division.
But the announcement, our correspondent authoritatively gathered, had brought back fears into the minds of the people of the region, many of who claimed that they were yet to recover from the trauma caused by last year’s edition of the military exercise, Operation Python Dance II.
Many residents of the South East interviewed by our correspondent were quick to make reference to the September 14, 2017 attack of the soldiers under Operation Python Dance II on the Afaraukwu, Umuahia, Abia State palace of the father of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, whose whereabouts have since remained unknown.
During the dusk-to-dawn operation by soldiers who overran the palace, several people, who took refuge with Kanu and his royal family members, were said to have lost their lives. And, since then, the whereabouts of Kanu’s parents, His Royal Highness, Eze Israel Kanu and his wife, as well as the IPOB leader have yet to be ascertained, while the Nigerian Army has kept mute on the matter.
Since last week’s reported plans by the Army to embark on yet another military exercise in the South East, the people of the region have been apprehensive and agitated of its consequences, just as the announcement coincided with a claim by IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, that the group recently discovered over 30 bodies believed to be ‘Biafrans’, who were slain by the soldiers during last year’s Operation Python Dance II and dumped in Ogwe in Ukwa Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.
Powerful said had such large number of persons, allegedly killed by soldiers during the operation, been found in the Northern part of the country, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, Britain, the USA and the world media would have been woken up to demand explanations.
He said, “As the anniversary of the murderous invasion of Afaraukwu on September 14, 2017 is drawing near, stakeholders and the International Community should prevail on the Nigerian Government and her security operatives to release the remaining dead bodies of Biafrans in their custody since last year.”
The IPOB spokesman further said that should the international community refuse or fail to take action on the horrendous discovery, “we would conclude that there is a conspiracy to exterminate and Islamise Biafra by the pro-Islamic international community.”
Apprehensive residents cited the treatment meted out to protesting pro-Biafra women in Owerri, last week, was a clear pointer of what to expect during Operation Phyton Dance III.
But the Army has labelled residents, who are afraid of the planned military exercise in the South East, as criminals, saying they are only afraid of being dislodged from their hideouts in the region.
The 82 Division GOC has, therefore, warned that the Nigerian Army would not tolerate any distraction or trouble from any group, including the pro-Biafra activists and killer herdsmen in the South East before, during and after the forthcoming exercise.
He vowed that the Army would ensure that law abiding citizens in the zone and Nigeria in general lived in peace.
Kabuk said, “Exercise Egwu Eke III is a training schedule for troops of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army and, during the training, if there are criminal activities like armed robbery, kidnapping and other social upheavals that distort peace and tranquility of the citizenry along the line, the Army will not close its eyes and allow such situations to thrive.
“Those afraid of the exercise are criminal elements that do not want their activities checked and are just being afraid of the consequences of their heinous criminal actions,” Maj. Gen. Kabuk opined.
The GOC further explained; “The Army trains on daily basis and, at times, as a group annually, so Exercise Egwu Eke, from the beginning, was Python Dance I. We changed it to Egwu Eke to align with the environment, which is the South East, still referring to it as Python Dance II and so, we are now saying that Exercise Egwu Eke III is going to hold. It is still going to be a training exercise.
“Whenever Exercise Egwu Eke is mentioned, people always think the Army has come to do some dangerous things in the South East. It is a wrong impression; it is a training exercise, but I must tell you that the people that become afraid are criminal elements who are looking for cover in their crimes.
“We want to let Nigerians know that if we are training, we are doing it to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. So, the pro-Biafra activists and killer herdsmen are also Nigerians who are misguided. We should not allow misguided elements to disturb our peace. What we want is for law abiding citizens to live in peace. If you are not law abiding, the law will take its course. That is all we are saying,” the GOC explained.
The Director of defecnce information, Brig Gen John Agim, when contacted over the development told our correspondent that there is no way the operation of Nigeria Army will be targeted at anybody in the country. He also added that Army operation is around the zones in the country with different name, adding that the defence is also embeded with senior officers from the eastern part of the country.
“The Army has operation with the different names all over the geo political zones in the country. There is no way an operation can be targeted at anybody. there are so many senior army officers from the east too.”
