OPERATION PYTHON DANCE

What would you do if someone tried to snatch a Nigerian soldier's rifle during a protest? This is something I witnessed during the 2017 Biafra protests, around the period of Operation Python Dance. In this video, I share one of my experiences as a Nigerian Army soldier serving on escort duty in Rivers State, around the Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt. At the time, six of us were assigned to escort expatriate workers connected to Shell. Our normal duty was to take them to work in the morning and bring them back in the evening. But on this particular day, things did not go as usual. We received information about Biafra protesters along the route we were supposed to follow. Our guard commander became worried and started preparing us for a possible confrontation, even though we had not seen the protesters. I explain what happened when we eventually reached the blocked road, how I tried speaking Igbo to calm the situation, and how one of our soldiers suddenly found himself struggling with people who were trying to take his rifle. I also share what I personally did during that confrontation. I'm not telling this story to make myself look like a hero. I was a young soldier then, and I believe it's important to talk about these experiences as they happened. The story did not end on that road. After we returned to the barracks, we discovered that our conduct had been reported to Army Headquarters in Abuja. By the following morning, our escort team had been replaced. I also talk about some of the things civilians may not understand about Nigerian Army escort duties, the responsibilities that come with carrying a military rifle, and my experiences working with expatriates in Port Harcourt. Towards the end, I share another unusual experience involving the Nigerian Army's python mascot, including what happened to a soldier assigned to care for the snakes. These are my personal memories of army life, Operation Python Dance, and the events surrounding the Biafra protests in 2017. I'm sharing what I witnessed and understood at the time, not claiming to speak for everyone involved. Watch the story and tell me what you think about the decisions we made that day. 00:00 Introduction 0020 Disclaimer 00:40 Operation Python Dance and the 2017 Biafra Demonstrations 01:11 My Shell Escort Duty in Rivers State 01:30 We Escorted Foreigners To Shell Barracks To and Fro 02:02 There Was A Serious Biafra Protests in Anambra, Imo & Rivers 02:26 It Happened In Oyigbo 02:35 Meet Corporal Idris 03:08 The Sergeant 2IC I Always Admired 03:21 How Our Day Looked Like As An Escort 03:35 He Was Always On His Laptop 03:53 I Finally Found Out What He Was Doing 04:02 He Was A Serious Gambler 😂 04:19 Our Guard Commander 04:46 Warning About Protesters on Our Route 05:30 We Were On Alert 06:05 We Stood Guard At The Gate 06:19 The Call for Reinforcements 07:19 The Staff Sergeant Was Restless 07:48 It Was Actually A Peaceful Biafra Movement 08:00 We Waited 08:17 The Disagreement Over Leaving Work 08:41 About Shell Police 09:12 We Were Told To Move Regardless 09:53 Our Escort Convoy Sets Off 10:58 We Encounter the Blocked Road 11:21 Origin of Operation Python Dance: Why the Biafra Protests Were Happening 12:16 We Had To Clear The Road 12:31 I Tried Speaking Igbo to the Protesters, They Didn't Listen 12:58 They Felt We Were Their Enemies 13:15 A Soldier's Tried Clearing The Way 13:33 They Tried Grabbing Cpl Idris' Rifle 15:01 How I Intervened 15:25 We'd Have All Been In Trouble If That Rifle Was Snatched 15:40 About My Friend, Bilah's Father 16:05 The Army & Rifle Discipline 16:13 I Stopped The Guy From Snatching The Rifle 16:49 Our Guard Commander Was Really Lousy 16:58 2IC Released Warning Shots and We Escaped 17:33 We Met Reinforcements On The Way 18:15 We Gave Sitrep to Our Operations Officer 18:23 Truth about Ammunitions Accountability in the Army 18:58 What Happened The Next Morning 19:27 We Were Replaced 19:36 The Foreigners Reported Us to Army Headquarters 19:54 How Those Oil Companies Handle Complaints 20:30 Differing Perspectives on Military Conduct 21:03 The Military Justified Our Conduct 21:28 The Complaints Was Rapidly Escalated 21:58 My Experiences With Expatriate Escort Duties    • My Experience Protecting Foreign Nationals...   22:10 I Have Worked With Westerners and Chinese Foreigners 23:00 Foreigners Treat Soldiers Without Respect 23:49 Soldiers and Operation Python Dance 24:54 The 2 Python Mascots In Our Div 25:36 One of the Pythons Died Within A Week 25:49 The Soldier Handler Was Charged With Negligence 26:06 Military Mascots and Their Ranks #military #ruthkadiri247 #nollywoodmovie #nollywood