Sen Sani likens Army’s positive identification exercise to apartheid period in South Africa

Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has likened the Nigerian Army Operation Positive Identification exercise to the

‘repressive strategies of state apparatus under the apartheid rule in South Africa.

He said the exercise, which commences nationwide today, Friday, would lead to negative abuses.

He wrote in a post on his Twitter handle, @ShehuSani, on Friday, “‘Positive identification’ is reminiscent of repressive strategies of state apparatus under the apartheid rule in South Africa.Positive identification will lead to ‘negative abuses’.”

Amid kicks by several Nigerians against the operation, the Nigerian Army insisted the exercise would go on.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Maj-Gen Usman Muhammed, had on Thursday told the House Committee on Army, when he appeared before it, that cordons, searches and raids would be done at specific areas where intelligence indicated that there were suspects.

He had also said that identification would not be limited to “valid identification” like the passport, driving licence, voter card or the national identity card, but by any other means through which people can identify themselves.