Military implementing new strategies to end insecurity, says Irabor

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Wednesday hinted thag the military was implementing new strategies to ensure an end to raging insecurity in Nigeria.

He gave this hint when he delivered a lecture at the National Defence College on the topic ‘National Security and Development: Strategic Options for Nigeria’, in Abuja.

He equally said that the military was working on upgrading the intelligence management procedures of the defence and security sector to strengthen the overall security architecture in the country.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria is working round the clock to implement several new strategies that will bring about an end to various security challenges in Nigeria,” he said.

“To this effect, we are working on upgrading the intelligence management procedures of the defence and security sector to strengthen the overall security architecture in the country.

“In addition, the thrust of our foreign policy should also be re-engineered to ensure that Nigeria is actively engaged in the promotion of peace and security within our sphere of influence in West and Central Africa.”

According to Irabor, the appraisal of the current security architecture showed concerns with respect to limited divergent approaches to tackling the emerging threats, ineffective media management as well as regional security dynamics.

The Chief of Defence Staff, however, called for the development of press code for reporting terrorism, insurgency and conflict stories, urging the media to refrain from broadcasting or circulating information that promotes the terrorists objectives.

“The media should report on such incidents in an independent and authentic way, but not allow itself to be made the tool of criminals

“The German Press Code for example says in reporting actual and threatened acts of violence, the press should carefully weigh the public interest in information against the interest of victims and other people involved,” he said.

He called on the Nigerian media to emulate and domesticate the German Press Code as its guiding principle in reportage.