The Nigerian Army has urged the media to stop publicizing the activities of Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram.
Acting Director of Defense Information, Colonel Rabi Abubakar, believes that media reports on the sect, encourages them to carry out more deadly attacks.
Abubakar stated this on Tuesday, during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of information.
He said;
‘‘We ask Nigerian press and other press men to understand our situation and support us to crush these people, which we know will be over soon.
‘‘We have realized that overtime, these terrorists have been extremely proactive with the use of information dissemination. As such, we need to counter all they are doing. That is why we are calling on the media to stop giving them the kind of publicity they are giving them because that is what keeps them going. I think, by the time they are denied such publicity they are enjoying in the media, they will lose strength.
‘‘Information in any military activity is important. We are trying to chat a new course for information flow in our various operations being carrying out by the Nigerian armed forces.
“It is part of the new paradigm we are talking about. You have to deny them information. Information is very vital to insurgency and it is only by denying them that information that we will be able to cripple them, and complement the efforts of the military in crippling them.”
“Press men should always crosscheck with Nigerian military, we will not tell you lies. We will tell you the truth and hope that the pressmen will be patriotic enough to be patient when reporting defense issues and all related issues.”
“We are urging them to maintain that level of cooperation they have been giving to us and be patient with us. I am assuring them, if there is any information to give the Nigerian citizens, we will do it and we will give them out exactly the way it happens. We are not hiding anything, we are all Nigerians. With what we have now, it is a matter of time, the issue of Boko Haram will be history.”
