NIGERIA army last week commenced a military exercise tagged: Egwu Eke III  The drill, third in the series, means Operation Python Dance.   It was meant to checkmate the level of insecurity  plaguing the country. The  nationwide exercise which commenced on January 3 ends February 24.

CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, represented by the  General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General Okwudilli Azinta, disclosed in Owo tactical headquarters of the operation that the exercise was conceived on the need to consolidate on the successes recorded in similar operations in 2016 and 2017.

THE first and second phase of the operations tagged Egwu Eke I and II were conducted in the South East and Cross River State  in 2016 and 2017 to crush the threat posed by the Biafran agitators and other security threats in the region.

AT the end of the second exercise in Akwa Ibom, 38 arms and ammunition were recovered from hoodlums,  while 106 suspects were arrested for different offences.

FOUR centers  were chosen in Ondo State for the operation. They are  at Owo, Ikare, Ondo and Ore. These are areas where there are security breaches in the state. Owo and Ikare for example are notorious for armed robbery and kidnapping cases. Many innocent citizens had either been kidnapped or their property taken from them.

SOME had even lost their lives, thereby creating fears in the minds of  those plying the road. No responsible government can fold its arms and allow  miscreants take over such a strategic road in the country. The road is the gate way to the northern part of the country. .

WE therefore commend the army and federal government for rising up to the festering  challenge.

WITH  the successes recorded through the earlier two operations, it is important for Nigerians to welcome the newly launched Operation Egwu Eke III  with open arms, more so that it is being carried out simultaneously across the country.

JUST as the earlier operations yielded positive results in checkmating  security challenges witnessed in the South East region then, exercise EGWU EKE III hopefully will be successful and rewarding in curbing criminality in its  area  of operation  in Ondo.

IT is also a reassurance of the resolve of the Nigerian army and indeed the entire armed forces of Nigeria as well as other security agencies to ensure that law and order is maintained as we approach the forthcoming 2019 general  elections.

IT  also reinforces the assurance that the Nigeria  army will continue to conduct internal security operations in combating criminality and other security challenges in the country, in line with its constitutional mandate of military aid to civil authority.

AS the build up to the 2019 general elections gather momentum, an upsurge of security challenges such as stockpiling of arms by criminal groups, formation of ethnic militias and violence induced by political activities should be curtailed and nipped  in the bud.

THESE challenges coupled with other security threats across the country such as terrorism, militancy, kidnapping and banditry portend that dissident groups and criminal elements could cash in on the situation to perpetrate large scale violence before, during and after the elections. This might have accounted for the domestication of the flag-off of Operation Egwu Eke III in Ondo State on January3, to rid the Sunshine State of bad elements terrorizing its inhabitants.

IT is more important now than ever  that the Nigeria army must up its game and ruthlessly tackle all challenges and security threats in collaboration with the Nigerian Police and other para-military agencies to restore the confidence of the masses in the system.

THE HOPE commends the Nigerian army for the successes recorded so far.  Such exercises are fulfilling both training and operational objectives of the force. We however strongly advise that the rights of the citizens must not be trampled upon under the guise of tackling insecurity.

IT is our desire that exercise Egwu Eke III with its mandate in combating the upsurge of security challenges as we approach general elections will be a success, and ultimately, Nigerians can heave a sigh of relief.