Politics Nigerian Military Warned Against Media Clampdown

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LequteMan

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Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN), an NGO, on Wednesday cautioned the Nigerian Military against media clampdown to ensure sustenance of the country’s democracy.

This is contained in a statement by Mrs Ijeoma Okwor, spokesperson for the NGO in Abuja.

The organisation condemned any form of harassment and intimation of media personnel by the military under the guise of taking security measures.

It said the action of the military was a violation of the principles of democracy, freedom of information and speech, adding that it was only obtainable in a tyrannical set-up.

The NGO faulted claim by the military that the media was culpable in the security challenges facing the country.

It noted that the claim was not supported by any evidence.

The statement advocated collective efforts in addressing the security challenges in the country.

``HRAN understands that the current leadership is swamped with efforts to address insurgency in Nigeria and we believe that such efforts must be tactical and channelled towards addressing the issue,” it said.

It urged the Federal Government to strengthen its commitment to the protection of the country’s democracy by protecting the rights of citizens.

The NGO, however, cautioned the media against any act that could indict them in the on-going fight against insurgency.

It advocated for the strengthening of relationship between the media and relevant government agencies in the fight against insurgency.

The military, however, repeatedly stated that the action was based on intelligence gathering and security concerns in the country.

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