We are the “GREAT WHITE SHARKS” of the Atlantic when it comes to marine warfare! “Operation Crocodile Smiles” is ironically, a simulative military operation cum exercise for waters less than 2 fathoms in depth orchestrated by the top hierarchy of the military to undermine any genuine disposition from your government towards restoration of tranquility in the Niger Delta and to exhaust your security budget for the year, except you are thinking otherwise towards peace in the Niger Delta too
Nigeria, Sept., 10, 2016 – The Niger Delta Avengers have alleged that not less than 20 soldiers have died in the Niger Delta Creeks, since the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General, Tukur Yusuf Buratai deployed amphibious soldiers into the creeks under the mandate, Operation Crocodile Smile.
In a statement, titled, “ The great white sharks of the Atlantic”, Spokesperson of the group, Brig-General Mudoch Agbinibo said that the death of the soldiers was nothing more than murder.
“ Mr. President from available facts, the untimely deaths of these four (4) fine soldiers in the creeks of Bayelsa and another sixteen (16) that was recorded during the first four days of the exercise along the River Ethiope, in Delta state but was earlier covered up is nothing more than act of murder”, the Niger Delta Avengers said.
The group attributed their death to nothing but corruption in the cost of waging war with militants in the Niger Delta.
“We have earlier advised against timing, strategy and objectives of the show of military might and the deployment of military hardware to the Niger Delta suddenly when there is certainly cessation of hostilities for peace talks to commence”, Mudoch said.
The group wondered why the Federal Government is in a hurry to train over two thousand military personnel for just 4 to 14 days on amphibious military exercise to occupy the Niger Delta region when the Niger Elders and stakeholders are awaiting for response for peace talks.
“Have you forgotten the exploits of our great fathers during the infamous Nigerian Civil War in amphibious warfare without any military training? Is it because they were volunteers as such the success was credited to Late Lt. Col. Benjamin Adekunle and Lt. Col Olusegun Obasanjo instead of them? Mr. President as a veteran of that fateful war, you know that after all failures, the amphibious warfare and successes was under the command of Lt. Gen. Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro of blessed memories, the pride and face of the 3rd Marine Commandos (3MCDOS) constituted of able-bodied Ijaw warriors voluntarily.
“They were not given any formal military training prior to that great contribution to the unity of Nigeria, but they succeeded because there were amphibious by nature.
“We are the “GREAT WHITE SHARKS” of the Atlantic when it come to marine warfare! “Operation Crocodile Smiles” is ironically, a simulative military operation cum exercise for waters less than 2 fathoms in depth orchestrated by the top hierarchy of the military to undermine any genuine disposition from your government towards restoration of tranquility in the Niger Delta and to exhaust your security budget for the year, except you are thinking otherwise towards peace in the Niger Delta too,”, the group said.
It called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate Operation Crocodile Smile which it described as a conduit pipe.
“Operation Crocodile Smiles is nothing but a conduit pipe for military contracts, political ‘profiteerism’ and patronages designed for the stress of your administration’s scarce resources.
“If it has any other purpose, it is to satisfy the ego of a trigger happy Chief Army Staff who killed over 800 Shiite just to have the right of way to a meeting even though there were other routes to his meeting.
“For the records, depths of 2-3 fathoms in the Niger Delta region is likened to the waters our kids of ages between 3-8 years bathe and swarm with crocodiles, alligators and other aquatic creatures in the mangroves/freshwater swamps of Niger Delta Creeks”, spokesman for the Niger Delta Avengers said, adding that the crocodiles deployed to the Niger Delta do not have capacity to swim.
“ Mr. President, in practical terms Crocodiles do not have any capacity to swim close to the water depth small tiger sharks swim and play around not to talk of the depths of the great whites, the heart of the nation’s economy where we have overmastered”, the group said.
