Unknown gunmen, IPOB face new military exercise Golden Dawn in southeast

The Nigerian Army has flagged-off Operation Golden Dawn in the eastern part of Nigeria.

The new military operation was flagged-off by the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, who was on a visit to the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu on Monday

The Army Chief said similar exercises took off simultaneously in other zones of the country, noting that they were borne out of the need to combat emerging security challenges.

The southeast has been under th threat of IPOB and ESN known as unknwn gunmen, while secessionist groups like Ilana Omo Oodu, kidnappers, and others are raging in the southwest.

While Exercise Golden Dawn is for the South-East, South-South and parts of South West will experience Exercise Still Waters, while parts of the North Central and the FCT, will have Exercise Enduring Peace.

“In this regard, Exercise Still Waters will be conducted in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Delta, River and Lagos States, while exercise dawn will hold in Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu and Imo States,” he said.

“Exercise Enduring Peace will be conducted in Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory,” he disclosed.

He said  Exercise Still Water is designed check-mate incidents of piracy, bunkering, pipeline vandalism, militancy among others in South-South and South-West

“Exercise Golden Dawn will checkmate the menace kidnapping, attack on government structures and security agencies, assassinations, among others in the South-East.

“Similarly, Exercise Enduring Peace will stem the tide of kidnapping, farmer/herdsmen conflict, checkmate influx of migrant terrorists and all other issues in the North Central geopolitical zones.

He further stated that the exercise, which would metamorphose into real operation would witness collaboration with other security agencies in exchange of ideas and intelligence.

In an interview with journalists after flagging-off the exercise, Yahaya said Enugu and indeed the South-East was chosen for the flag-off of the exercise in view of the emerging security challenges in the zone, as well as the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election.

“We have brought sister agencies, we will synergize and we will have result,” he assured.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General T.A. Lagbaja said the exercise would bring an end to the activities of unknown gunmen in the South-East zone.

The GOC said “criminal elements in the region, particularly those who operate as unknown gunmen, especially in Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo States, are therefore warned, in their own interest, to desist from their nefarious activities and surrender all the illegally acquired weapons and ammunitions forthwith or be met with appropriate action by own troops.”

He said the exercise would also boost civil/military relationship through medical outreach to communities, construction of bore-holes and bridges, among others.