BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Nigerian Army has said that it has nothing to do with a so called “Operation Positive Identification (OPI), that was peddled by a company by name “Bricks company”.
The Army specifically said that such an operation and code name is not its operation, stressing that it does not create any operation with such name or abbreviation in all of its operations across the nation in a manner maliciously presented by the so called Bricks company.
These were contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa in which he also said that the Nigerian Army has never issued press release through private companies or third parties since it has a full-fledged Directorate that coordinates its public relations and Information aspects which has a robust cordial working relationship with the media.
Colonel Musa further 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”.
“Recall that in order to compliment the ongoing operation in the North East, 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 North East.
“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.”
The Army enjoined members of the public to discountenanced “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.”
