PANDEF Kicks Against Relaunch of Military Operation Crocodile Smile

Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) on Thursday kicked against the re-launch of ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, and urged the military to reconsider the plan in the interest of peace existing in the Niger Delta region.

The group maintained that there has been relative peace in the Niger Delta following the understanding reached with the aggrieved agitators by PANDEF, which has consistently demonstrated the primacy of dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts rather than destruction of oil and gas assets in the region.

PANDEF in a statement signed by its Coordinating Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mulade, recalled that it is on record that the federal government has made some indications of its readiness in ensuring the fast-tracking of the development efforts in the region by the adoption of the 16 -Point Agenda as working tool for this purpose as well as the positive pronouncements on some of the 16-Point items for immediate implementation.

"PANDEF therefore is of the strong opinion that whatever actions on the part of government that will undermine this much desired hard earned peace process should be discouraged.

"It is on this premise that PANDEF was taken aback by the announcement of the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig- General Sani Usman, of the readiness of the Nigerian army to Launch 'Operation Crocodile Smile II' in the oil-rich South-South region, just as 'Operation Python Dance' was being deployed in the South-east zone, which has elicited mixed reactions from wide range stakeholders.

"Whilst it is not  the position of PANDEF to challenge operational deployments of Nigerian soldiers in any part of Nigeria in accordance with best practices and rules of engagement, and without prejudice to the constitutional  role of the military in a democratic setting, we however observed that, this contemplated deployment of the 'Operation Crocodile Smile II' is certainly misadvised, especially at this time when the region is gradually coming to terms with the urgent need to sustain the relative peace in the region," it added.

The Niger Delta group recalled that the previous launch of the 'Operation Crocodile Smile' in the region last year left in its trail bitter tales of woes, including harassment, destruction of helpless communities and killings of innocent persons, adding that there is palpable fear that the second coming of this Operation Crocodile Smile' will not be any better since it is fraught with the tendencies for heating up the fragile peace in the Niger Delta region.