The Nigerian military says it plans to undertake a nationwide operation to demand identity cards from citizens across the country.
‘Operation Positive Identification’ would see soldiers accosting citizens on the streets or highways and asking them to produce means of identification on the spot.
Soldiers had been taking similar measures to separate citizens from terrorists in the Boko Haram-ravaged northeastern part of Nigeria.
The military claimed last month that citizens in the North-east had been cooperating with troops to make the exercise successful by carrying with them valid identity documents.
The military however announced on September 25 that the exercise will be extended nationwide to “checkmate bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic militia, cattle rustlers as well as other sundry crimes across the various regions of Nigeria.”
The announcement came simultaneously with the awareness about the 2019 edition of the military ‘s anti-crime operations such as ‘Ayem Akpatuma’ in the North-central; ‘Egwu Eke’ in the South-east and ‘Crocodile Smile’ in the South-south and South-west.
Although ‘Operation Positive Identification’ was initially billed to commence alongside the anti-crime patrols on October 7, it was held for additional preparation.
Military sources say the exercise will now commence early in November.
Citizens have been warned to carry a valid means of identification, especially voter’s card, national identity card, driver’s licence, international passport, whenever they are going out to avoid being seen as criminally-minded by soldiers.
Already, some firms have started issuing advisory to their staff members ahead of the planned military operation.
While some have lauded the initiative against crime others consider it unconstitutional to ask citizens to carry ID cards or be treated as suspects,”. Rights activist also maintain that “If law enforcement agencies have a reason to suspect a citizen, they should go after that citizen and not subject the whole country to fear.”
It is believed that more than half of the citizens of this country do not have cards, making it a big challenge for the success of the operation.
A commission was created to register and issue ID cards to all citizens above 16, over a decade later, only a few million people have enrolled and even fewer number of people had been issued the plastic National identity card.
Adding to the challange is the fact that Millions of citizens do not have voting credentials, driver’s licence or international passport. Millions are unemployed and do not have work-issued ID cards…
According to Rights sources, “this seems to be an attempt to victimise, intimidate and extort Nigerians,”.
Nigerian Army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, and Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, are yet to issue a statement.
(C) Control TV 2019.
