The heads of security and intelligence agencies in the country have expressed worries over plots to scuttle the 2019 elections by some unnamed groups.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement on Thursday.
He said the security chiefs raised the alarm in a meeting with some media owners and senior journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the security chiefs that addressed the media delegation included Director General of the Department of State Services , Lawal Daura ; Director General of the National Intelligence Agency , Ambassador Ahmed Abubakar ; and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen . Gabriel Olonisakin .
The chiefs urged the media not to allow themselves become willing tools in the hands of such elements.
“ The security chieftains expressed the particular worry that there are groups in the country with evil designs to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 general elections in the hope of creating a stalemate.
“ They warned the media against the activities of some unregistered groups that have lately been active in trying to undermine critical institutions such as the law- enforcement agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“ The security heads also called for closer cooperation from the media to prevent terrorists and radical ideologies directed from abroad from undermining the ongoing efforts to restore security in parts of the country facing the challenges of terrorism , economic sabotage , criminality , farmers -herdsmen ’ s clashes and the spread of illegal weapons,” the Shehu statement read in part.
It also quoted the security chiefs as promising to continue to work conscientiously the thin but fine line between openness and need for national security.
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