By Milcah Tanimu

The Federal Government has issued a strong warning against the unauthorized disclosure or leakage of official documents, emphasizing that such actions are punishable offenses.

George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), delivered this warning on Tuesday in Abuja during a workshop organized by the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with his office. The workshop was themed “Renewing Hope and Strengthening of National Unity through Effective Communication and the Role of the Official Secret Acts in Maintaining Confidentiality and National Security.”

Represented by Dr. Nnamdi Mbaeri, a Permanent Secretary in his office, Akume stated that the unauthorized leakage of sensitive official documents is a felony with no defense in either the Constitution or the Freedom of Information Act. He highlighted Section 97 (2) of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, which states: “Any person who, being employed in the public service, without proper authority abstracts, or makes a copy of, any document the property of his employer is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”

Akume also noted past government measures to curb the leakage of sensitive information within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). This included the issuance of service-wide circulars by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in August 2021 and another in February 2024, specifically addressing the unauthorized circulation of official documents on social media.

“There is a need to regulate the activities of civil society organizations that use the Freedom of Information Act to harass, intimidate, and siphon resources from public officers through the dissemination of fake and unfounded information. This should be properly addressed by all practitioners in the communication and related industries,” he added.

The government’s stance underscores the importance of maintaining confidentiality and national security by adhering to the Official Secrets Act and other related regulations.