Nigeria Army commander says it has deployed military troops to the six Niger Delta State for the commencement of “Operation Crocodile Smile”.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Divisions, Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen Enobong Udoh said this on Saturday while addressing troops to signal the commencement of the exercise.
The General stated that the operation was confidence building patrol rather than a show of force as widely reported.
“Operation Crocodile Smile is not a show of force but a confidence-building patrol that seeks to reassure the people of Rivers state and the Niger Delta that the army is ready to work.
“We are ready to work in close synergy and collaboration with other security services and agencies of government to ensure that there is peace and security for the people.
“Our operation aims to reassure the public that we are ready to fight crimes like cultism, militancy, and kidnapping so that people can go about their business without fear,” he said.
Udoh said that troops would carry out collaborative patrols with the Nigerian Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Immigration Service and the Department of State Security (DSS).
Others are Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Customs Service and personnel of the Nigerian Prison Service…