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The Nigerian Army has donated food items to over 2000 flood victims in Delta in order to alleviate their plight.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, presented the items on Saturday.
The donation was made to the victims at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South-West Local Government Area.
The army boss said that the succour came at the instance of the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.
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“The CAS sympathised with the victims of the recent flooding that ravaged houses and brought some untold hardship on them.
“He has also directed that you consider what he called “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’. It means keeping the people safe,’’.
The items donated included; bags of rice, gari, vegetable oil, several cartons of Indomie and table water.
The “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ was flagged off on Nov. 1 in Bayelsa while that of Delta started on Nov. 2.
The GOC was flanked by officers including the Commander, Sector 1, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Col. Alhassan Grema, Commanding Officer 3 Battalion, Effurun, Maj. Salim Hassan.
Addressing newsmen, Sarham said “Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ was basically to ensure safety of lives and property.
“It is aimed at riding communities from crimes and basically to safeguard lives and properties.
“We are not unmindful of the fact that there are criminal elements within the society here.
“The Nigerian Army in conjunction with other security agencies has designed an annual training exercise which they turned into operations to ensure that crime does not thrive in our communities
“We are in the vanguard of national development and you cannot develop where there is no peace and security,’’ he said.
The GOC and his convoy had earlier met with the people of both Aladja in Udu Local Government and Ogbe-Ijoh on the exercise.
He said that the exercise was not to harm or disrupt peace but to curb violence, pipeline vandalism and other crimes in the Niger Delta region.
The army boss, however, solicited for understanding, support and cooperation of the people throughout the period of the exercise and urged them to always use dialogue to resolve their differences.
“We are here to conduct Operation Crocodile Smile Three 2018’’ in your domain, soldiers are servants of the people, we are agents of peace, we engender development,’’ he said.
Sarham thereafter moved to the 3 Battalion (Rear) Tactical Headquarters, Egbokodo, Warri South to meet with the personnel.
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While commending the personnel for their good work, he warned them against being used by the saboteurs but to continue to uphold the ethics of the military profession.
One of the flood victims, Mrs Elizabeth Bayo, 64 year and mother of four, commended the Nigerian Army for the donation.
Coordinator of the IDP camp and a staff of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Bridget Ezonfade, expressed gratitude to the Army, adding that she had over 2000 victims comprising children and adults in the camp.
