Halt Operation Crocodile Smile before it backfires, FENRAD tells Buhari

A Human Rights Organization, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has urged the Federal Government to put a stop to the resumption of Operation Crocodile Smile by the army as this would create further problems for the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

A statement signed by Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director, said that the rumuor which is fast gaining momentum is not in the interest of the government, nor the country.

According to the statement, “There are pervasive speculations of the deployment of soldiers by the federal government to resume the ‘Operation Crocodile’ exercise which is scheduled for October 20.

“Insinuations in the public sphere are that the exercise is targeted at clamping down on protesters of the ongoing #EndSARSandpolicebrutality# in some parts of the country.

“While we don’t totally align with such insinuations, we don’t want to rule out the veracity of such claims judging from the antecedents of the present and past governments which are always eager to deploy military forces to muzzle the collective will of Nigerians expressed through peaceful protests.

“FENRAD wants to explicitly state that by whichever guise the federal government is deploying soldiers for the resumption of operation crocodile, the action is ill-timed considering the situation in the country presently.

“FENRAD are also of the opinion that the action, whether done on good intentions, would be misinterpreted.

“FENRAD advises the federal government to withdraw such action for the interest of peace, law and order.

“On the other hand, if the intentions of the federal government are to hide on the cover of resumption of operation crocodile to clamp down on the popular will of Nigerians, we advise it to have a rethink as this is bound to be counterproductive.

“We also advise the federal government to take a cue from governments across the world that have deployed oppressive forces to muzzle popular will. History has not justified such governments as they have ended up escalating the situations instead of ameliorating them.

“FENRAD wants to remind the federal government that peaceful protests are constitutional rights of citizens and should not be clamped down.

“We also appeal to the federal government to substantially address the issues highlighted by the protesters as this will go a long way in rebuilding confidence between the government and the people.

“Meanwhile, FENRAD advises infiltrators to desist from hijacking the protests to create chaos as this would defeat the essence of the protests.”