Buratai warns army personnel against unauthorised information disclosure

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday, warned Army personnel against disclosing classified information through unauthorized social media platforms.

He gave the warning while declaring open a five-day workshop on Army Officers’ Office Management and Document Security Workshop at 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna.

Journalists gathered that 160 officers within the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and below are attending the workshop from different army formations across the country. Buratai, who was represented by Director of Administration, Army Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Kuta Isyaku explained that the army had an extant policy which prohibited the use of social media to disclose service matters.

He said that the army cyber warfare command had the capacity to monitor and deal effectively with issues, including management of social media. The army chief said that the workshop targeted the officers because of the important role they played in proper handling and management of service documents, some of which were highly classified.

According to him, disclosure of the content of such documents could be injurious to national security. Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. Faruq Yahaya had explained that the workshop was meant to refresh the minds of officers on their roles.

According to him, the workshop will also enhance their skills in office management and security of classified documents. Yahaya, however, noted that office management had helped the army in the past to draw useful lessons that assisted in identifying gaps in management and document security.

Vanguard