Army Warns Soldiers against Revealing Official Secrets on Social Media

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Nigerian Army wednesday warned soldiers fighting the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast and other military operations in the country to desist from revealing official secrets on social media or face sanction.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen. Tukur Buratai, stated this at the opening of the Nigerian Army Office Management and Document Security Workshop in Abuja.

Buratai, who was represented by Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Major General Rasheed Yusuf, cautioned soldiers against the use of social media and publishing of official information on such platforms.

He warned that resorting to social media is prohibited by the military, given that the military has established a directorate to focus solely on the management of social media in the army.

The COAS said: “The social media has brought out additional challenges to information security which are being used by misguided personnel contrary to our service rules.

“The Nigerian army has an extant policy on the use of social media which prohibits among others, the use of social media to discuss or disclose service matters.

“It is indeed unfortunate and unprofessional for service personnel to resort to social media to disclose classified information or express grievances when the army has well established channels for addressing complaints.

“The ultimate objective of the forum is to build your capacity to effectively support my vision which is to have a professional responsive Nigerian army in the discharge of its constitutional role.”

Also speaking, Chief of Administration, Nigerian Army, Major General Idris Alkali, contended that security of document is one of the cardinal requirements for effective operations and administration in the military, considering that the Nigerian army is engaged in numerous operations within the country.

Alkali added that it was unprofessional for any officer or soldier to disclose official information without authorisation.

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