Army disowns ‘Operation Positive Identification’
The Army on Saturday disowned the Operation Positive Identification allegedly being promoted by a group called Bricks company.
The army said it has nothing to do with that particular operation and is different from its (army) own “ongoing operation positive identification which is intelligence driven, deliberate, targeted operation and not an independent operation but is integral and complimentary to Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the Northeast.”
The Acting Director, Nigerian Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, said in a statement yesterday that the public should disregard the statement by Bricks Company on Operation Positive Identification.
Musa said: “following the widespread apprehension on the purported Nigerian Army (NA) operation positive identification from 1 November to 23 December 2019, as mischievously peddled on the social media by a hitherto unknown and fictitious organization, the so-called Bricks Company, which alleges that the NA will conduct the operation and went ahead to state how the operation will be conducted by the Army.
“Specifically, Bricks alleges that – “residents shall witness large numbers of uniformed Nigerian Army personnel parading the roads in an exercise known as OPI.
“The NA wishes to inform members of the public that it has nothing to do with the so-called Bricks Company and its illusionary OPI; it is not an Army operation and the NA does not create any operation with such name or abbreviation in all its operations across the nation in a manner maliciously presented by the so-called Bricks Company.
“Similarly, NA has never issued press release through private companies or third parties because it has a full -fledged Directorate that coordinates its public relations and Information aspects which has a robust cordial working relationship with the press.
“Recall that in order to compliment the ongoing operation in the Northeast, NA has an ongoing operation positive identification which is intelligence driven, deliberate, targeted operation and not an independent operation but is integral and complimentary to Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the Northeast. The aim of the operation is to arrest all those terrorists fleeing or escaping the war zone/Theatre of operation to a safe haven or peaceful areas in Nigeria.
“Members of the public are hereby enjoined to discountenance the hitherto faceless and mischievous Bricks company and its alleged NA OPI.
“The NA wishes to use this opportunity to enjoin all Nigerians to cooperate with the NA and indeed all other security agencies by giving credible information that will assist in the identification and eventual arrest of the fleeing criminals/terrorists in any part of our beloved country,” the Army said.