The pan Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said that the recent deployment of armed soldiers to the south-eastern region of Nigeria was meant to intimidate, harass and extort money from the people of the region.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the President-General of the organisation, Nnia Nwodo noted that the Operation Python Dance launched by the military has so far witnessed the murder of 191 innocent youths agitating for self-determination in parts of Aba, Asaba, Nkpor and Port Harcourt.

According to Nwodo, instead of using more civilised and established practices to resolve the country’s democratic and security challenges, the military has resorted to the use of brute force.

While regretting that the Nigerian Army has never embarked upon such operations in any of the five geo-political zones which are replete with kidnappings, Boko Haram insurgency, Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes, secret cult killings, oil bunkering, armed resistance and killing of military personnel, Nwodo called for the immediate withdrawal of the troops from the region.

He added that if the soldiers were not immediately withdrawn, Ohanaeze Ndigbo would be left with no alternative than to believe that the operation is a containment policy aimed at intimidating the people of the south-east from freely expressing their anger against marginalisation and their treatment as second-hand citizens of Nigeria.