Daily Trust Sunday

On Operation Python Dance (II)

- Ndubuisi Njoku wrote from Abaji, Abuja

For about a week now, the activities of the recently launched Operation Python Dance (II) in the South-East has dominated discourse, with several allegation­s levelled against the military personnel sent to the region.

Now, I think it is time to make some clarificat­ions; this is not the time that the military under the current administra­tion is launching an operation. Before the latest, they launched similar operations in the North-West and the North-East and not once were they reports of human rights abuse. The question then should be: what is different now? The people of the region have to jettison the notion that military men have been sent there to kill and molest them. Like the military authouriti­es have said, the operation is a routine exercise. The people of the area should go about their lawful activities and allow the military to do their job. They should also avoid all forms of confrontat­ion with the military. I also think the leader of the IPOB should be cautioned against making inciting statements. He should stop violating his bail conditions and respect the constituti­on of the country. There are several ways of making demands. He should channel his demands through the right authouriti­es.

Nigeria is the only country we have; let us not allow this problem to escalate.

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