Brutal #EndSARS protests imminent as Exercise Crocodile Smile begins

Cyber Warfare Operation Starts On Tuesday • Army Must Tread With Caution In Dealing With Protesters - Shehu Sani
• Violent Reprisal Of Peaceful Protests Dangerous, Says CSOs

The Federal Government may have finally yielded to the temptation of quelling the ongoing #EndSARS protests via military might, in the guise of Exercise Crocodile Smile 6, which the Nigerian Army, yesterday, announced will commence on Tuesday, October 20.

Also encompassed in Exercise Crocodile Smile 6, is a cyber-warfare operation, which the army said is “designed to identify, track and counter negative propaganda on the social media and across the cyberspace.”

This development came to light on a day that protesting youths in Lagos State and other locations across the country became vociferous in their demand for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation.

But Civil rights crusader, Senator Shehu Sani has cautioned the military to tread carefully in dealing with youths, who are protesting against the government’s poor handling of affairs.

The first indication that the government may be contemplating military action emerged when the Nigerian Army issued a warning to “subversive elements and trouble makers” to desist after a week of protests.

Army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa, in a Facebook post said: “The NA (Nigerian army) hereby warns all subversive elements and trouble makers to desist from such acts as it remains highly committed to defend the country and her democracy at all cost.”

In the statement, which many viewed as a veiled threat, Sagir said the army would “support the civil authority in whatever capacity to maintain law and order and deal with any situation decisively.”

Early last week, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, equally hinted that the government may forcefully end protests, which has spread across the country.

According to him: “My observation is that hoodlums are already hijacking the protests. The IGP has already disbanded the SARS. So, it no longer exists officially as a unit. The youths refused to stop protesting, they said they wanted the President to issue an Executive Order dissolving it. Executive Orders are not used for that purpose.

“I believe the youths should be satisfied at this stage. If the youths still come out tomorrow (October 14) again, then it will look as if the whole demonstration has a hidden agenda for which #EndSARS is being used as a cover. It will seem there is an agenda to disturb the stability of the country and engage in activities that may be along the line of #RevolutionNow, which itself is the highest crime in our constitution,” he said.

THE acting Director of Army Information, Musa, while announcing the military exercise said this year’s exercise will run from October 20 to December 31, 2020.

He explained that the operation would include cyber warfare exercises, which is designed to identify, track and counter negative propaganda on the social media and across the cyberspace.

“This is the first-ever Cyberwarfare exercise to be conducted in the history of 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.

He added: “The Nigerian Army, once again, reassures all well-meaning Nigerians of its commitment to the sustenance of peace and security in Nigeria,” and urges the support and understanding of members of the public throughout the period of the exercise.

BUT despite fears that the protests may get bloody when the military operation gets underway on Tuesday, the army, in a separate release claimed that Exercise Crocodile Smile has nothing to do with #EndSARS protest.

According to him: “Exercise Crocodile Smile VI has nothing to do with the ongoing protest and the Nigerian Army (NA) has never been involved in the ongoing protest in any form whatsoever. So far, the army has acted professionally since the civil protest started over two weeks ago.

“For the records, Exercise Crocodile Smile is a yearly exercise in the NA Calendar/Forecast of Events which traditionally holds from October to December of each year.

“The army hereby enjoins all law-abiding Nigerians to go about their lawful activities unhindered as the Exercise has nothing to do with #ENDSARS protest, but a yearly event set out by the NA in its efforts to ensuring safety and security of Nigeria and her citizens.”

SENATOR Sani, who represented Kaduna Central at the Eighth Senate, said that Nigerians have the democratic rights to protest against the excesses of the ruling government, and the gradual reign of fascism in the country.

“The Army should not intervene to crush peaceful protesters,” he said in one of his tweets, adding that, “we have enough bandits and insurgents in our forests and deserts that need their attention.”

The human rights activist also reacted to some residents of Borno State, who took to the street to protest the disbandment of SARS describing “the pro-SARS protesters as Alsatians of the system.”

IN the same breadth, a group of civil societies in the country has warned the Federal Government against using the military to quell the ongoing nationwide protests.

In a statement released in Abuja, yesterday, the coalition consisting of 16 CSOs said the threat issued by the Military High Command concerning the protests revealed that an “unacceptable move is being made to crush the peaceful protests.”

According to them, such a threat was ill-conceived in the face of legitimate citizens’ protest, and a threat to constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The CSOs include Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), Enough is Enough (EIE), Partners for Electoral Reform, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), YIAGA Africa, Global Rights, among others.

The coalition noted that while the #EndSARS is focused on the immediate concern of a brutish policing system, the protesters were also inherently voicing their anger against a governance system, which has failed to reckon with them.

The coalition said: “We reject in its entirety the move to draft in the military to quell the protests, even where there has been no violent conduct on the part of protesters.

“The military should remain in their barracks and at their duty posts, defending the territorial integrity of the country, and not deployed in a dangerous anti-people and anti-democratic operation to crush a people who are exercising their right to freedom of association, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly… It is important to let the Nigerian authorities know that the entire world is watching its response to the legitimate demands of the youth…” the coalition said.

Epstein:
Foolish people....after hackers don hack everything hackable you want to chance us?

I will leak Buratai bank statement in Dubai if they no take time!

starbuck:
If only all these efforts were channelled to Northern banditry/boko Haram, we wouldn't have been where we were abi were we where



I move

AJSfan:
They want to make a mistake. This is 2020 with cameras and Internet everywhere

iamyemiakins:
So, all of a sudden we aren't hearing about Boko Haram. This country no just balance at all

Epstein:
Foolish people....after hackers don hack everything hackable you want to chance us?

I will leak Buratai bank statement in Dubai if they no take time!