INSURGENCY: Army tells Nigerians in North East to carry official means of identification

Nigerians moving around in the Northeastern part of the country will be required to provide an official means of identification, before they would be allowed passage, the Nigerian Army has said.

This is part of the newly launched ‘Operation Positive Identification’ by the Nigerian Army Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) targeted against fleeing Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in the North East.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relation, OPLD, Col. Ado Isa, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Isa called on the public to always carry valid means of identification when moving or passing through Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

According to him, the operation was aimed at searching for and arresting all suspected terrorists that currently roam some parts of the North East.

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This, he said, has become necessary following credible information that some of the fleeing criminals are hibernating in some towns and villages of Borno and Yobe States in particular and North East in general.

Isa added that troops had been instructed to strictly check valid means of identification of person before allowing them passage, advising people to always carry National Identification Card, Voters Registration Card, Drivers’ License and International Passports, or other valid official identification.

“We therefore once again enjoin all to fully cooperate with troops and security agencies in carrying out this exercise.

“The Theatre Command also wish to state that anyone not positively identified will attract further scrutiny and comprehensive investigation to determine his or her activities with the insurgents or otherwise.

“The general public is please requested to bear with this measure as it is in their best interest and our national security, as well as efforts to end the madness called insurgency as perpetrated by the erstwhile Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters,” he said.

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