…urges citizens’ support

The Oduduwa Integrity Foundation (OIF) has welcomed the launch of the operation ‘Crocodile Smile’ by the Nigerian Army, describing it as “timely” at a period the corporate existence of Nigeria is under threat.

With the #EndSARS protests taking a violent twist after reportedly being hijacked by individuals and groups against the interest of the nation, the Oduduwa group said the operation will counter all such emerging threats.

The army announced on Friday that its annual exercise will commence on Tuesday to identify, track and “counter negative propaganda” in the social media and across the cyberspace.

The operation, which is the first-ever cyber warfare exercise to be conducted in the history of the African Armed Forces, will also include identification component aimed at identifying Boko Haram terrorists fleeing from their base.

National President, Kunle Salau, speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Lagos said it is pleased that the exercise will be conducted nationwide unlike in the past when it was limited to certain geo-political zones.

He, however, challenged the troops to fish out the cyber arm of Boko Haram, IPOB and their collaborators who take to social media space to spread falsehood.

The Oduduwa Integrity Foundation further called on the army to track virtual payments and financing of questionable activities to destabilize Nigeria as well as the recent trend of hacking of government websites.

While calling for maximum support from Nigerians, the OIF urged troops to resist the provocation that they will naturally come across in the course of this exercise.