There Are Many Fifth Columnists In Armed Forces – CDS

Written by - Alo Abiola; as Published in the Guardian. 

The Chief Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, yesterday raised the alarm that there were too many “fifth columnists’’ in the armed forces as the national security adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, said terrorism was tearing the country apart.

The two top security chiefs stated this in Abuja at the on-going three-day workshop on “Security/Media Relations in Crisis Management,’’ organised by the office of national security adviser in conjunction with Trim Communications Nig. Ltd.

Reacting to some lead papers presented by the director of information in his office, Major General Chris Olukolade, Dr Tonnie Iredia, Professor Pat Utomi, Dr Tom Adaba and a BBC correspondent, Badeh used the occasion to clear Olukolade over the statement credited to him that the Chibok girls had regained freedom.

“If your people are misleading you, what do you do? There are too many fifth columnists, too many fifth columnists. There was a report which says oh, we have seen some of the Chibok girls, only eight are missing, it was a very senior officer that gave that information from Chibok area.

“ We are dealing with that situation. That was when people started saying watch what (Maj.-Gen.) Chris Olukolade says. But he was misled by one of us,” Badeh said.He compared the counter insurgency war in the country to the ones in Iraq and Syria, but lamented that while helps were coming to both countries from the international community, none was extended to Nigeria.

“If you look at what is happening, what is happening in Nigeria with Boko Haram is not different from ISIS in Iraq and in Syria, in fact our own people are more vicious but everybody has gone to Syria, to go and assist but who have come to assist us? We are just being left alone to do it.”

Terrorism Is Tearing the country apart – Dasuki

In his contribution to the discourse the NSA, Dasuki has called for collaboration with the media in the fight against terrorism, stressing that insurgent activities was undermining the unity of the country.

He urged the media to join hands in fighting the insurgents by publishing stories that would not celebrate the activities of the criminals.

Dasuki said, “Insurgency is tearing what holds our country apart. Their activities are new not only to Nigeria, but to the whole world. The media should stop celebrating their activities and ensure professionalism takes priority in their reports.