Following the launch of ‘Operation Python Dance’ by the Nigerian army to allegedly ‘combat armed robbers, kidnappers and separatists disturbing the sovereignty of Nigeria’, various interest groups have expressed concerns.
The army announced the operation on Nov 29 and intends to end it on Dec 27. Rights groups and movements from the South East are already condemning the operation as another war against the Ndigbo with some warning that it will cripple the economy of the South East.
The South-East Coalition of Human Rights Organizations has called for the dismantling of the operation, arguing that the exercise would cripple and strangulate the social and economic activities in the zone.
Ten groups under the coalition said that apart from scaring investors away, the exercise would also chase away traders coming to patronize South-East economy, cripple leisure, recreation and other cultural activities, as well as turn the South-East roads into extortionist money-making arena by way of what they described as structured or organized and open ended extortion.
Meanwhile, MASSOB and IPOB are condemning the operation in strong terms, claiming it was a ploy by the Nigerian Army to declare a state of emergency in the South East and make like unbearable for the Igbo people.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki by the National Director of Information of MASSOB, Comrade Samuel Edeson, the group alleged that the action of the military was intended to maim the people of Biafra and prevent them from returning home for the Christmas celebration.
The statement read in part:
“The leadership of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, after our National Executive meeting today at MASSOB headquarters, Okwe, Onuimo Local Government Area, which also coincided with first anniversary of the new leadership of MASSOB under our amiable leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu condemned in totality the recent declaration by Nigerian Army of Operation Python Dance in Biafra land.”
“The meeting which was presided over by our leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu at Okwe resolved as follows:
- That Operation Python Dance is another dimension of prosecution of war by Buhari-led administration against Ndigbo. It also amounts to political declaration of state of emergency in South-East states.
- That Army headquarters, with their ulterior negative motives, started this annihilating operation on November 27, without any public enlightenment and orientation in order to maim the people of Biafra.
- That the primary target and reason of this operation is not against pro Biafra groups, as we have no public functions in this Christmas season. It is against the people of Biafra, mostly the Igbo during this Christmas period through intensive pressurized monetary extortion, harassment, mesmerization and secret/extra judicial killings of Ndigbo because of current Biafranization of Igboland and Ndigbo.
- That Christmas season is a period of Igbo gathering with much concentration in Igboland, so to the military, it’s a fertile land and opportunity for creating fears/tensions among our people which they thought will derail the love, confidence and consciousness of Biafra.
- That this is an extension of Buhari-led administration’s forceful islamisation of Igboland through military fears and religious intimidation.
“This operation is also designed to demoralize the people of Biafra from returning home for Christmas celebration.”
