The Nigerian Army says “Exercise Egwu Eke”, also known as “Operation Python Dance”, will be conducted annually in the South-East region.

Army noted that the exercise was not targeted at any individual or group and urged Nigerians in the region to go about their normal businesses without fear.

“Please note, Exercise Egwu Eke (Python Dance) II, is now a scheduled Nigerian Army exercise to be conducted annually in the South-East region,” the Deputy Director of Public Relations, 82 Division Nigerian Army, Colonel Sagir Musa, said in a statement on Sunday.

“Exercise Egwu Eke, which started fully on the 15 September to 14 October 2017, is a normal routine Nigerian Army Field Training Exercise meant to sharpen the skills of the participating troops in the conduct of Internal Security Operations.”

The Army explained further that the exercise was aimed at combating the identified obvious security challenges in the South-East and to deal with the rising cases of insecurity such as kidnappings, farmers-herdsmen clashes, secessionist agitations and insurgency of any form among others.

“For emphasis, it is necessary to restate that the exercise and similar ones with different code names in some parts of the country were deliberately initiated and conducted with an overarching aim of checkmating identified security challenges prevalent in the regions where they were carried out.”

According to the Army, some of the exercises it has conducted successfully include Operation Awatse to tackle militants and oil installations vandals, illegal oil bunkering in the South West, especially in the creeks between Lagos and Ogun states.

It said “Exercise Shirin Harbi”, in addition to troops training, was also targeted at addressing restiveness, armed banditry and religious upheavals in the North-East, especially in Bauchi and Gombe states while the exercise was also aimed at containing the reign of killers, armed robbery/banditry in Southern Kaduna.

Others are “Exercise Harbin Kunama” launched in the North-East to combat cattle rustling, armed robbery, banditry, religious insurrection in Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano-Zamfara axis; as well as “Exercise Crocodile Smile” launched in the South-South to deal with criminal elements engaged in the vandalisation of oil pipelines and installations. (Channels TV)

Update news