The Commander of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Thursday, led officers and men of the command to clean up the Akpandem Market in Uyo as part of activities marking the launch of the Operation Crocodile Smile IV in the area.

Speaking with journalists, Lagbaja said the exercise was part of the civil/military relationship.

He added that the army would continue to ensure peace and harmony with the civil society.

He said, “What you are witnessing this morning is environmental sanitation in continuation of our Operation Crocodile Smile IV.

“We will relate with the civil populace; we will relate with every stakeholder and it is on the basis of this relationship that we have come here this morning to clean the environment, especially this market.

“It is a show of military support to the civil populace that we are working to take care of their needs. The Operation Crocodile Smile IV is a military exercise that will be driven by intelligence. So, it serves two purposes.

“First, is to assist in training our troops for their day-to-day activities; and second, it has an intelligent head. Based on intelligence that we will receive from sister agencies like the Department of State Services, the police and other agencies, we will act to apprehend criminals and economic saboteurs, who operate in the general environment.

“We have population influencing activities like environmental sanitation, and tomorrow (Friday), we are going to have a medical exercise. We will go into schools and carry out sensitisation.”

The Chairman, Akpandem Market, Mr Nseabasi Ndoh, commended the Nigerian Army for maintaining a cordial relationship with the civilian population by cleaning up the market in spite of its core engagement.

He stated, “The army spokesman called me on Wednesday and told me that soldiers were coming to clean up the market; I thought he was joking. By 6am, they were here.


“They came with large number of their men and they have assisted us to clean the market. They have cut grasses around the market; so, we are very happy.

“I have been seeing the army from a very long distance, but today, I am so surprised about what they have done, because I have known the army for shooting.”

Ndoh added that the market committee had set up a sanitation task force to check the dumping of refuse in unauthorised places in the market.