The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, yesterday said there were “fifth columnists’’ in the armed forces leading to conflicting information emanating from the military.
Badeh made the allegation in Abuja, while reacting to some presentations at the start of a three-day workshop on “Security/Media Relations in Crisis Management’’.
The retreat was organised by the Office of National Security Adviser, in conjunction with Trim Communications Nig. Ltd.
“If your people are misleading you, what do you do? There are too many fifth columnists.
“There was a report which says: oh, we have seen some of the Chibok girls, only eight are missing; it was a very senior officer that gave that information from Chibok area.
“We are dealing with that situation. That was when people started saying: watch what Maj.-Gen. Olukolade, the Director, of Defence Information says. He was misled by one of us,’’ Badeh said.
Badeh urged journalists to be guided by national interest while reporting the on-going counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
Badeh advised that although they might know many things concerning the operations, but they should not report things that would hurt or create panic in the people.
Represented by Prof. Soji Adelaja, of the NSA Office, he said that terrorism was new to the nation and cautioned against reports and pictures that could affect the image of the country.
The chairman of the occasion, retired Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, said that there was need for the media and security agencies to partner in handling the current situation. (NAN)
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