Headlines
Nigerian Army to fight fake media as Operation Crocodile Smile begins
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The Nigerian Army says it is set to start its yearly exercise ‘Crocodile Smile’, across the federation.
The operation, traditionally conducted in the last quarter of the year, is scheduled to commence from the 20th of October to the 31st of December 2020.
This year’s exercise is code-named, ‘Crocodile Smile VI’.
The military exercise is coming amid nationwide outburst by Nigerian youths who have been in the streets protesting police brutality and infringement on their fundamental human rights.
Using the hashtag, #EndSARS, the youths have succeeded in getting the police authority to abolish the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police Force involved in hunting down criminal elements, including those in the cyberspace, known in local parlance as Yahoo, Yahoo.
The SARS had been accused of extra-judicial killings, maiming, rape of innocent women, among other crimes, by Nigerians.
Army spokesman, Sagir Musa, said in a press statement Saturday that the Crocodile VI to be conducted by the Nigerian Army will be the first in Africa to focus on cyber warfare.
“The Exercise is deliberately intended to be all encompassing to include cyber warfare exercises designed to identify, track and counter negative propaganda in the social media and across the cyberspace.
“This is the first ever Cyber warfare exercise to be conducted in the history of the African Armed Forces. Accordingly, the exercise will also include positive identification component aimed at identifying Boko Haram terrorists fleeing from the North East and other parts of the country as a result of the ongoing operations in the various theatres of operations, especially in the Northeast, North Central and North Western parts of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Army, once again, reassures all well-meaning Nigerians of its commitment to the sustenance of peace and security in Nigeria and urges members of the public for their support and understanding throughout the period of the exercise,” the statement said.
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Meanwhile, the news of the army exercise was greeted with angry reactions by many Nigerians who believe that the army was going into an area of operation they do not possess the expertise. They would rather the military men concentrate their energies in fighting the Boko Haram terrorists and other insurgency in the northern parts of the country.
We reproduce below, a tip of the hard views expressed by an apparently disenchanted citizens on the army Facebook page:
Mad People everywhere! If u guys get to Sambisa Forrest u people will be crying like bebis there. But in Peaceful Citizens una go dey Show power.
Una own na play!! Let the crocodile go and smile in north east and other places where there is insecurity ….
I advise you guys to take a chill pill till after end SARS…I also guess you have forgotten your constitutional role…None of the listed fall under your purview…Let me also remind you that your allegiance is to the Nigeria people and not any president! Also cyber crime is not your job…I guess efcc can do better.
Cyber warfare? By the military? Indeed laughable wait and see how protesters will arm themselves come Tuesday..it will be an arm for an arm the youths are going rogue nothing amount of threat can deter them at this point….afterall the entire army population isn’t up to the entire Lagos protesters….your end has come #EndSars #EndnNigeriaArmy #EndBadGovernance
Common boko haram you no fit defeat since… E ku ise
Kill one protester and it’s going to be trouble
You guys think is about soldiers abi?? It will shock you guys when it will be too hot for you guys, unless you guys are ready to kill the whole Nigeria. Fool. Sponsors of boko haram.