By Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Vincent Ujumadu, Dapo Akinrefon, Peter Okutu, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Chinonso Alozie & Ugochukwu Alaribe

THE South Eastern polity was awash, yesterday, with condemnation for the planned deployment of combat-ready personnel for a special operation, code-named Egwu-Eke 11 (Python Dance 11) in the five states of the zone.

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Turkur Burutai, who was represented  by the Chief of Training and Operations, Maj.-Gen D.D. Ahmadu, said at a briefing, weekend, that the exercise, the second phase of the operation that was launched 12 months ago, would be conducted in 82 Division area of responsibility that covers the five states between  September 15 and October 14, 2017.

According to him, emphasis would be placed on raids, cordon and search operations, anti-kidnapping drills, road blocks, check points, patrols, humanitarian relief activities such as medical outreach and show of force to curb the rising threat to national security in the South Eastern part of the country.

The Nigerian Army

He said: “Exercise Egwu-Eke II has become more expedient due to the mindless assassinations (even in religious places), attacks on security personnel and theft of weapons, kidnappings, armed banditry and violent agitations by secessionist groups, among other crimes that have recently bedevilled the region.

It confirms govt’s deaf ears to the cries of oppressed people —ECA

In a statement  entitled, “Of Pythons, Paranoia and Prevarication,” by its Secretary, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko,  the ECA said: “Again, the Nigerian state has confirmed the rumours, that justice, equity and fair play, are not anywhere near its mindset and that the continued oppression and intimidation of the people of eastern Nigeria through brute force remains her choice strategy of engaging the frustrations and anger of the much oppressed people of the region.

“The blunt refusal of the sectionally- controlled government of today, to listen to the cries, yearning and pleas of the people to begin the consensual reconstruction of Nigeria in order to enthrone equity, peace and progress throws up only one option: Application of brute force in order to sustain the unjust status quo.

“For the second time in 10 months, heavy military equipment, acquired with oil proceeds are rolled into eastern Nigeria in line with the two year old policy to intimidate, terrorize and silence the long oppressed people of the region, whose only sin is that together with three other zones of the country, they cry for a restructuring of Nigeria, to enthrone fiscal federalism and regional autonomy like we had in the First Republic.”

It’s a Jihad on Biafra land —IPOB

On its part, the IPOB, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Emma Powerful, urged the Chief of Army Staff to take back the armoured tanks being assembled in the Biafra land to the war fronts in the North where the armoured tanks are needed because nobody is fighting any war in the East.

The statement said: “We wish to alert humanity about the silent Jihad being unleashed on peaceful Biafran population, in order to complete the extermination of the Igbo race under the pretext of military exercise in a peaceful civilian environment.

“This act of primitive criminal intimidation and provocation must not go unchallenged by men of good conscience.

“This latest attempt to use military show of force in Biafraland to deal with legitimate peaceful agitation for self determination vindicates IPOB position that Nigeria is irredeemably incapable of human development.

“It makes a mockery of the role of the military and nonsense of the constitution that soldiers can be ordered by one army officer, without the permission of the Senate, to kill civilian population in an area devoid of any conflict.

“We, the IPOB advise Buratai not to march his army into Biafraland under the cover of Operation Python Dance because IPOB is agitating for self determination in a peaceful manner. We have no arms and will never resort to bearing arms.”

Stop intimidating South-easterners— MASSOB

In like manner, the MASSOB in a statement by its National Director of Information Comrade Samuel Edeson, urged President Buhari to understand that Nigeria as a member of the United Nations and African Union and should not violate human rights of the people as enshrined in the human rights charter, in the name of providing security where there is no threat to security.

“The Operation Python Dance or Egwu-eke in Biafran land is an act of frustration from Nigerian government. General Tukur Burutai has never deemed it fit to lunch operation machiji or kunama (Operation snake bite or scorpion sting) respectively against the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen who go about killing people, raping women and young girls, setting people’s houses ablaze, instead he is coming to Biafra land to launch unnecessary security operation that is needless because there is no threat to security.’’

INC gives Army 21-day ultimatum to leave

Urging the Chief Army of Staff to stop the move and withdraw troops in the zone within 21 days,  the Igbo National Council, INC, in a statement by its National President, Comrade Chilos Godsent, warned that it would sue the Nigerian Army to the International Criminal Court, ICC, for genocide against the South-East zone.

It said: “The Igbo National Council, INC, has analysed the state of the South-East and the Nigerian state and hereby states the followings: The Nigeria state is not at war with the people of South-Eastern Nigeria, and, therefore, wish to call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the leadership of the National Assembly to mandate the Minister of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, to immediately withdraw the military arbitrarily deployed to South-East to murder innocent civilians.

“If this is not adhered to within 21 days, the Igbo National Council, INC, will petition and also sue the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government to International Criminal Court, ICC, for genocide against the armless people of South-Eastern Nigeria.”

It’s unnecessary —S-East town unions

On its part, Association of South East Town Unions described the Operation Python Dance as unnecessary and a mistaken approach to tackle the increasing separatist agitations in the zone.

Chairman of the Association of South East Town Unions, ASETU, Chief Emeka Diwe, who stated this in Aba, dismissed the claims that the operation would be used to check kidnapping in the zone, and called for caution.

Groups back FG

However, the National Committee of Yoruba Youths, NCYY, and Coalition of Civil Society Groups against Terrorism in Nigeria have backed the Federal Government’s decision to deploy troops to the South-East.

In a statement signed by Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, Convener and Atani John, Secretary, the groups decried the escalating trend of violent activities and civil disobedience by some persons, hiding under the umbrella of civil liberty to hold peace-loving people of the region, and other parts of Nigeria hostage, for the perpetuation of their selfish agenda.

The groups said the move is commendable because it will return normalcy and ensure that the large number of innocent Nigerians, living and carrying out their economic activities within the region, can now experience peace and live peacefully, without further molestation and restrictions, as they have witnessed in the last couple of months, due to the activities of the agitating groups.