7th January, 2019
The Defence Spokesman, John Agim, has explained why the military invaded and shut down the operations of DailyTrust offices in Abuja and Maiduguri in Borno State.
According to him, the invasion was not to stop the press from doing their job but because the medium made a publication that revealed the plans of the military in fighting insurgency.
“I think it is completely unacceptable for any media house to have information about the military plan on the fight against insurgency and publish such plans,” he said in a phone interview with Channels Television on Sunday evening.
“Boko Haram terrorists will be informed ahead of time and that also shows that they (DailyTrust) are sympathetic to the insurgents and the intention was just to invite them and let them understand the dangers their action puts on the military.
“So, the intention is not to stop the press from doing their job. They need to understand that without peace and security in the land, they cannot perform their job. So for everybody who has information, there’s a need to check with the security agencies before they publish such because releasing such information ahead of time can jeopardize the operation”.
The soldiers have, however, vacated the Abuja office of news organisation.
According to Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, the development followed an order given by the President.
Channels Television