Operation Python Dance: What military exercise should do during elections – Middle Belt group

The Middle-Belt Conscience Guard has reacted to the proposed
nationwide exercise tagged Operation Python Dance III by the Nigerian
Army.

Recall that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, had
announced that the military exercise would commence from January 1,
2019 and last till February 28.

He said the exercise was in preparation against security challenges
anticipated before, during and after the 2019 general election.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, kicked against the planned
nationwide military exercise, claiming that it was another plot to rig
the 2019 general elections.

Speaking on the development, the middle belt group said the exercise
would rather boost voters' confidence before, during and after the
election.

Sunday Onoja, the BoT chairman of the group, while addressing a press
conference in Abuja, expressed optimism that the exercise would
address areas in the Middle-Belt where the terrorists were once known
to have sleeper cells.

His words, "Our geo-political zone, the North-Central sits between the
north (North East and North West geo-political zones) and the South
(South-West, South-South and South-East geo-political zones). Whatever
happens in any of these other geo-political zones therefore
automatically affects the Middle-Belt. This makes us default
stakeholders in whatever happens in these sister geo-political zones.

"We can validly assert that a resurgence of Boko Haram will affect us
because under the previous administration, Niger, Kogi, Plateau and
Nasarawa states with the FCT were hotbeds of terrorists' activities
until the present administration came into office and appointed
military service chiefs that secured the geo-political zone from
terrorists. With the desperate push that Boko Haram is making to prove
that it remains relevant, the Middle-Belt has no interest in seeing
the group move southwards again as this will place them in our
geo-political zone to the detriment of our people.

"Our geo-political zone has had its share of ethno-religious crises.
Plateau is a case we can refer to at any time, while Benue state has
also had more than its fair share of ethnic strife that have been
given different colouration that made tracking such conflicts
difficult. Kogi state is not spared as well. Experience have shown
that such crises have the tendency to flare up whenever there are
elections or in their immediate aftermath. This credible threat must
be taken in consonance with the threats from some politicians to make
the polls do or die affairs.
"We further take cognizance of cases on kidnap for ransom in
neighbouring geo-political zones coupled with crimes like banditry in
the northwest. Efforts are being made to rid that region of the
bandit, which makes it likely that the criminals being displaced could
relocate to the north-central through Niger state. This makes it
imperative that they are stopped from migrating into our land.

"Still on migration, the farmers/herders' clashes is of concern to us
given the number of gory deaths that have been attributed to this
situation. While incidences of killings, especially in Benue state,
have declined, concerns remain that nefarious elements may again use
the election as a trigger for the killings to resume or use the
farmers/herders' clashes as a cover to exact vengeance on political
enemies.

"Our concerns extend to extremist and separatist groups to the north
and south of our geo-political zone. A separatist group had in the
past earmarked part of the Middle Belt as territory to be excised to
form part of the illegal country they are dreaming up. On their part,
extremists in the last quarter of last year invaded the FCT with a
view to cause mayhem. The North-Central is in need of protection from
these elements.

"It is in view of these peculiar challenges that the Middle-Belt
Conscience Guard welcomes the Operation Python Dance that the Nigerian
Army has launched across the country and meant to last until the end
of February. We see the operation as being able to address the
security concerns and challenges that we have identified. For us, it
is a confirmation that the Federal Government is committed to tackling
violence and criminal activities such as banditry, politically aided
killers and other criminalities that worsen during general elections.

"We are hopeful that the Operation would be able to identify and
apprehend any Boko Haram suspect that escaped southwards. The exercise
should equally address areas in the Middle-Belt where the terrorists
were once known to have sleeper cells. We would like the last vestige
of Boko Haram to be removed from our geo-political zone.

"We equally desire for the banditry in the north-west to be contained
by Operation Python Dance within that geo-political zone so that they
do not ever have the chance to trouble the people of the Middle Belt.
We believe this is a unique chance to decimate the criminals that have
kept people across Nigeria agitated over the wanton killings that
trail them everywhere."