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Nigeria's Federal government Sunday debunked reports in the media that it plans to declare a state of emergency in five states of the federation owing to security challenges.

In an interview with Sunday Vanguard, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said the federal government had not taken a firm decision on what to be done in those states where there was escalation of security challenges.

There were reports in the media  that owing to the worsening security problems in Borno, Yobe, Nassarawa, Benue and Plateau states the Federal government planned to declare a state of emergency in those states.

But in an interview with Vanguard, Dr Abati said no such decision had been taken.

According to him, “no such decision has been taken and people should stop speculating. The federal government is studying the situations in the affected states and would take a decision that would be in the overall interest of the security of not just the people of the states affected but the country”.

Dr Abati said the clarification had become necessary because of the wide speculation in a section of the media which did not reflect government thinking at the moment.

At the end of the National Security Council meeting on Friday to review the security situation in Nassarawa, Benue and Borno states where more than fifty security personnel and civilians were killed by gunmen, there were speculations in the media that the federal government would declare a state of emergency to deal with the challenge.

Source: Vanguard