Reverse Plans To Resume Operation “Crocodile Smile” – FENRAD Advises Buhari

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reverse plans to resume Operation Crocodile Smile, a military operation in the country.

FENRAD says there are insinuations that such operation is targeted at protesters of #EndSARS in some states of the Federation.

In a statement signed by Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the Executive Director of FENRAD, it cautions that the mood of the nation at the moment lends credence to the speculation.

The group further berated President Muhammadu Buhari for his penchant for using the military to clamp down on protesters who are expressing their constitutional rights.

“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 is that the exercise is targetted at clamping down protesters on 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 wills of Nigerians expressed through peaceful protests,” FENRAD says.

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The group stated that by whichever guise the federal government is deploying soldiers for the resumption of operation Crocodile Smile, the action is ill-timed considering the situation in the country presently.

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

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

“We also appeal with 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 advise infiltrators to desist from hijacking the protests to create chaos as this would defeat the essence of the protests”.

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