This was disclosed by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division Nigeria Army, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Kabuk, during a familiarisation visit to the 302 Artillery Regiment, (General Support) Onitsha, Anambra State.

Maj. Gen. Kabuksaid the annual training programme, tagged "Operation Python Dance III" (also known as Exercise Egwu Eke III), will return to South East States formations and units under 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

He said, "Exercise Egwu Eke III, is a training exercise for troops of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army and during the training, if there are criminal activities like armed robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities that distort peace and tranquility of the citizenry along the line, the Army will not close its eyes and watch those criminals activities to thrive."

Maj. Gen. Kabuk clarified that the exercise is merely a training programme for troops and not a sinister programme to target anyone.

He said, "The Army trains on daily basis and at times, as a group annually, so Exercise Egwu Eke, from the beginning was Python Dance I. We changed it to Egwu Eke  to align with the environment which is the South East, still referring to it as Python Dance II and so, we are now saying that Exercise Egwueke III is going to hold. It is still going to be a training exercise.

"Whenever Exercise Egwueke is mentioned, people always think the Army has come to do some dangerous things in the South East. It is a wrong impression, it is a training exercise, but I must tell you that the people that get afraid are criminal elements who are looking for cover in their crimes.

"We want to let Nigerians know that if we are training, we are training to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. So, the pro Biafra activists and killer herdsmen are also Nigerians who are misguided.

"We should not allow misguided elements to disturb our peace. What we want is for law abiding citizens to live in peace. If you are not law abiding, the law will take its course.That is all we are saying."

He concluded that the only people afraid of the exercise are criminal elements who don't want to face the consequences of their criminal actions.

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Operation Python Dance II was controversial

The exercise attracted a lot of controversy last year as many regarded it as a military campaign targeted against separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Soon after the commencement of the exercise in 2017, soldiers publicly clashed with IPOB members with the group alleging that dozens of its members were killed in a crackdown that lasted over a week and ended in the disappearance of Kanu and his parents.

The group was also designated as a terrorist organisation and had its activities proscibed soon after by the federal government.