Yoruba
youths drum support for Operation Crocodile Smile
Hundreds of
youths of south-west extraction on Thursday, staged a peaceful rally to endorse
the current military operation tagged “Operation Crocodile Smile” in the
South-West.
The group
under the aegis of Progressive Yoruba Youth Congress (PYYC), tagged the
peaceful rally, “Peace, Unity and Security”, stating that the rally is to
endorse the measures of the operation which they say would rid the region of
criminal elements.
The youths
marched from Ojota Seven up to the popular Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Lagos
singing and dancing as they carried placards expressing their support for
President Muhammadu Buhari’s measures in securing lives and properties of the
people of southwest.
Some of the
placards read: “Southwestern Nigeria fully supports Mr. President’s Security
Measures”; “Yoruba Youth Welcome Operation Crocodile Smile”; “Unity, Peace and
Security, our concern”; President Muhammed Buhari, thanks for protecting us
against enemies of state”.
Addressing
newsmen, the National President of the group, Desmond Abiona, said evidence has
shown that the exercise has resulted in lesser crimes in other regions where
similar operation was carried out.
According to
him, the operation would reduce all manners of criminality in the southwest
especially the one being perpetrated by the Badoo Cult.
“We
therefore declare our readiness to cooperate with the Nigerian Army and its
sister security agencies to help President Muhammadu Buhari protect us all.
“As we
welcome the Operation Crocodile contingent to the southwest, we use this
opportunity to declare our support for the exercise while assuring that the ill
feelings and hostility exhibited against it in the South East would not be the
case in our homeland.
“This is
because we recognise that anyone that puts on the uniform of the Nigerian Army
is already making great sacrifices for the country and must be encouraged to
keep giving their best.
“Hence, like
Oliver Twist, we are constrained to ask for more. Similar exercises conducted
by the Nigerian Army in other jurisdictions have reportedly resulted in lesser
crime rate because soldiers used their capacity building exercise to flush out
criminals in this area.
“Our belief
is that we would not be asking for too much by presenting the leadership of the
Nigerian Army with a shopping list of issues we think soldiers can use
Operation Crocodile Smile to deal with for our people.”
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