TheCable

Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, launched Operation Crocodile Smile, a military exercise, at Takwa Bay Island in Lagos state, on Friday.

He said the increase in crimes in coastal areas compelled the army to step up training and operations in the amphibious environment.

According to him, the ‘order of battle’ 2016 provides for amphibious battalion on the island to keep the coastal area of Lagos state safe.

“A detachment of Nigerian army has since been stationed on the island; more army presence will also be felt soon on the island and other parts of the country in line with the 2016 order of battle as fund becomes available,” he said.

The army chief said the first phase of the exercise which took place between August and September 2016 in Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Imo and Rivers states recorded tremendous success.

He said troops degraded activities of militants and illegal oil bunkering, destruction of kidnappers’ den and rescue of kidnapped victims, destruction of cultists’ camps, among others.

Buratai, however, said the success of exercise crocodile smile I in those states pushed some criminal elements to other parts of the country, thus necessitating “readjustment” of area of operation of the second phase in 2017.

He added that it was in that regard that the exercise was being conducted in the south-south and south-west regions.

Buratai said it was being done with sister agencies to sharpen troops’ combat skills on land and amphibious environment and consolidate on gains achieved in the first phase.