The Nigerian Army is set to launch Africa’s first-ever cyber warfare exercise designed to identify, track, and counter negative propaganda in social media and cyberspace.
Acting Director Army Public Relations Colonel, Sagir Musa, in a statement, said the exercise, which will be formally launched on October 20 under the annual Exercise Crocodile Smile, will also include the suspended positive identification component.
The reintroduction of the positive identification component is aimed at identifying fleeing Boko Haram terrorists dislodged at the various theatres of operation, the statement noted.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army is set to start its annual Exercise CROCODILE SMILE which is traditionally conducted in the last quarter of the year. This year’s Exercise CROCODILE SMILE V1 is scheduled to commence from the 20th of October to the 31st of December 2020.
“The Exercise is deliberately intended to be all-encompassing to include cyber warfare exercises designed to identify, track, and counter negative propaganda in the social media and across the cyberspace.
“This is the first-ever Cyberwarfare exercise to be conducted in the history of the African Armed Forces. Accordingly, the exercise will also include positive identification component aimed at identifying Boko Haram terrorists fleeing from the North East and other parts of the country as a result of the ongoing operations in the various theatres of operations especially in the Northeast, North Central, and North Western parts of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Army, once again, reassures all well-meaning Nigerians of its commitment to the sustenance of peace and security in Nigeria and urges members of the public for their support and understanding throughout the period of the exercise”.
