TheCable

The house of representatives has directed its committee on national security and intelligence to investigate the “leakage of classified security documents to the public”. 

At Thursday’s plenary session, the lawmakers described divulging security information to the public as an act of sabotage that frustrates the fight against insecurity.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution after adopting a motion sponsored by Samuel Adejare, a lawmaker from Lagos state.

The development may not be unrelated to a recent memo by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), which directed telecommunications companies to shut down services in Zamfara state.

Speaking on the floor of the lower legislative chamber on Thursday, Adejare said the “recurring incidents of leakage of classified security documents” to the public through various platforms jeopardise the “fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the country”.

He said the federal government has made efforts in tackling insecurity, but the leakage of classified security documents and other “acts of sabotage is causing failure of intelligence gathering, misunderstanding and lack of cohesion among operatives involved in different operations”.

“The unfortunate situation is enabling other acts of crimes and criminalities such as jailbreaks, mass abductions, invasion of farms and animal rustling,” he said.

“If such acts of sabotage are left unchecked, they may pose great risks to the lives of security personnel and ultimately imperil the country.”

The committee has been given two weeks to carry out the investigation and report its findings to the house.