Why We Are Monitoring Social Media – Military.

The Director Defence Information, Major General John Enenche,
has defended the military’s decision to carry out social media
surveillance, saying it is necessary for the military to get vital
information that will aid its activities.

Enenche spoke about the controversial surveillance during an
appearance on Channels Television’s breakfast programme Sunrise
Daily on Wednesday morning, a weeks after he told Channels
Television that the military is monitoring the activities of
Nigerians on the social media, sparking outrage.

When asked on Sunrise Daily if it is part of the military’s role
to carry out such a surveillance, Enenche said the objective is not
to curtail freedom of expression but to aid the military with
planning.

Despite the outrage the military has no plans of stopping the
surveillance.

“We are monitoring the social media to sieve out information to
help us in our planning. In the military we cannot arrest anybody
for that, we cannot. Surveillance is observing, getting
information. That is what we are doing so that we can be proactive.
So that we can get information,” Enenche said.

“We are monitoring the social media to help sieve out
information, the one that will be anti-government, anti-military,
anti-government. Surveillance is part of our job and we will keep
doing it.”

He added that the social media is a platform where people can
communicate freely and the military is only using the platform to
gather useful information.

“The Social Media is a platform where people communicate with
themselves, a platform where anybody can join and you can get
information. Surveillance is observing, that is what we are doing
so that we can be active.”

Enenche during the interview also said the military is still
observing Boko Haram insurgents closely despite claims that they
are tired of fighting the Federal Government.

“We are following up because it is not unexpected. The actions
we had put in place in the past. The reinforcement and the
reinvigoration of our actions. We started with clearance operations
which is supposed to dovetail into dominating the whole area and
now we have seen the results,” he said.

“We cut off the lines of supply and communication and then there
is pressure on them. Their helping center and activity in Sambisa
forest has been knocked off.’’

On what the military is planning to do with the information it
is getting, he said, “The information we are getting, we are yet to
convert it into intelligence. We are not taking it at surface level
because sometimes it might even be a decoy to divert our
attention.

“So, professionally we are handling it to ensure that what they
are telling us is true intelligence and that is the situation of
things. But, I will tell you that It is 60% closer to the truth
that they are fatigued and they are giving up.’’

The Director Defence Information, Major General John Enenche,
has defended the military’s decision to carry out social media
surveillance, saying it is necessary for the military to get vital
information that will aid its activities.

Enenche spoke about the controversial surveillance during an
appearance on Channels Television’s breakfast programme Sunrise
Daily on Wednesday morning, a weeks after he told Channels
Television that the military is monitoring the activities of
Nigerians on the social media, sparking outrage.

When asked on Sunrise Daily if it is part of the military’s role
to carry out such a surveillance, Enenche said the objective is not
to curtail freedom of expression but to aid the military with
planning.

Despite the outrage the military has no plans of stopping the
surveillance.

“We are monitoring the social media to sieve out information to
help us in our planning. In the military we cannot arrest anybody
for that, we cannot. Surveillance is observing, getting
information. That is what we are doing so that we can be proactive.
So that we can get information,” Enenche said.

“We are monitoring the social media to help sieve out
information, the one that will be anti-government, anti-military,
anti-government. Surveillance is part of our job and we will keep
doing it.”

He added that the social media is a platform where people can
communicate freely and the military is only using the platform to
gather useful information.

“The Social Media is a platform where people communicate with
themselves, a platform where anybody can join and you can get
information. Surveillance is observing, that is what we are doing
so that we can be active.”

Enenche during the interview also said the military is still
observing Boko Haram insurgents closely despite claims that they
are tired of fighting the Federal Government.

“We are following up because it is not unexpected. The actions
we had put in place in the past. The reinforcement and the
reinvigoration of our actions. We started with clearance operations
which is supposed to dovetail into dominating the whole area and
now we have seen the results,” he said.

“We cut off the lines of supply and communication and then there
is pressure on them. Their helping center and activity in Sambisa
forest has been knocked off.’’

On what the military is planning to do with the information it
is getting, he said, “The information we are getting, we are yet to
convert it into intelligence. We are not taking it at surface level
because sometimes it might even be a decoy to divert our
attention.

“So, professionally we are handling it to ensure that what they
are telling us is true intelligence and that is the situation of
things. But, I will tell you that It is 60% closer to the truth
that they are fatigued and they are giving up.’’