The Commander, 14 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ohafia, Brig. -Gen. Ahmad Dikko has charged journalists to report any soldier who accompanies celebrities and politicians unprofessionally or engages in illegal activities.

He said this during the familiarisation visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia council, on Tuesday at the command headquarters, Goodluck Ebere Jonathan Barracks, Ohafia.

Mr Dikko assumed office as the 18th commander of the brigade on February 2.

He urged journalists to always reach out to the command if they see anything going wrong.

Mr Dikko said, “So if you see a soldier performing illegal duty, if you see a soldier following a celebrity around, carrying his bag, tell us. I’m serious. We will immediately do something about it. I promise you that.”

The commander admitted that there was no perfect organisation, but pointed out that the army could only improve if it received positive feedback.

“So we welcome criticism, we welcome critique, and we welcome tip-offs, information that maybe the larger society is not aware of,” Mr Dikko said.

Mr Dikko, who emphasised the importance of the media in society, called for its continued collaboration with the military.

He described the media as the “only channel through which the public sees the army,” saying, “You are our connection, our umbilical cord with the rest of the society.”

He continued, “We must have you on our side if we are going to succeed. Security challenges are found everywhere in the world.

“So we cannot overestimate the importance of having the correct type of relations with the media.”

Earlier, the NUJ chairman, Chidi Asonye, represented by Felix Obani, chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, lauded the command for its cordial relationship with other security agencies in ensuring a safe Abia.

He reiterated the council’s commitment to collaborating with the command to ensure the public receives accurate information about the army’s activities.

(NAN)