The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has appealed to the federal government not to use Operation Crocodile Smile in quelling End SARS protesters in the country.
The Northern coalition feared that the use of military exercise could lead to choas at a time like this.
The group in a statement through its spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman described the operation scheduled to commence on October 20, 2020, as ill-timed and may not go well in the country.
The group observed that “the move to deploy the military on Nigerians already taken over by peaceful #EndSARS and #EndInsecuriyNow protesters is ill-timed, ill-advised and a deliberate and costly attempt to provoke the setting in of chaos and further instability.”
“If government wants to hear the truth,” the group noted, “it should be told that the Army boys would do better unleashing their crocodiles on the forests of Sambisa, Birnin Gwari and other spots spread all over northern Nigeria.
“It’s quite unthoughtful and uncalled for, for the crocodiles or whatever reptiles to be used against peaceful everyday Nigerians who are merely exercising their their civic rights whereas bandits, kidnappers, rapists and insurgents roam about making life difficult for several communities particularly in the North.”
The statement cautioned that any attempt to further complicate the present situation by militàrizing the tiny civil space, would only make the already darkened clouds hanging over the country darker.
The group observed, “We are quite sure the international community would by now be alert as to where responsibility would ultimately lie in the event of the deterioration of the situation.”
The group confessed that Nigerians are angry, frustrated and are unlikely to condone further impunity from leaders who have clearly become liabilities.
