Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on media organizations to stop giving prominence to terrorists and criminals, arguing that excessive coverage aids those seeking to spread fear and instability. Speaking at a security summit organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the State Security Services (SSS), Idris urged journalists to balance press freedom with national responsibility.
Minister's Appeal to Journalists
“Please take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages,” Idris said. “This is what they crave for free of charge.” The two-day summit includes a presentation by the SSS Director General on the second day. Attendees on the first day included officials from the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, military and police officers, and representatives of Defence Minister Christopher Musa and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf.
Concerns Over Media Coverage
The minister expressed dismay that media reports often highlight the activities of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers while downplaying the efforts of security personnel. “It saddens my mind. I feel very unhappy when I see our front pages, when I see our headlines, reporting the activities of these criminals and underplaying the ones by the security agencies,” he said. Idris emphasized that responsible journalism is not censorship but requires sound judgment in reporting.
Responsible Journalism and National Interest
“Nobody is calling for censorship. Nobody is asking the media not to do its job, but we must know that we must have a country to keep,” Idris stated. He noted that Nigeria faces complex security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, misinformation, and organized crime, necessitating closer media-security agency collaboration. Both institutions play critical roles in nation-building: security agencies protect lives and sovereignty, while the media serves as a watchdog and bridge.
Improved Media-Security Relations
Idris commended the improving relationship between journalists and security agencies, particularly the SSS, noting no reports of journalist arrests or detentions by the SSS in the past 18 months. He challenged other agencies to maintain similar standards, hoping such incidents become history. The minister reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to strengthening media-security engagement through dialogue, strategic communication, capacity building, and public enlightenment.
Nigeria's Security Landscape
Nigeria continues to grapple with multifaceted security threats, including farmers-herder conflicts, banditry, and insurgency, driven by climate change, weak governance, ethnic and religious tensions, and disinformation. In the North-east, the Boko Haram insurgency, now in its 17th year, has spread beyond its original Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe strongholds, mixing with banditry in North-central and North-west states like Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, and Sokoto. The crisis is expanding southward, with attacks reported in Kwara, Ondo, and Oyo states.
Security Wins and Data
Security agencies have also achieved major victories. President Bola Tinubu, in his Democracy Day speech, revealed that over 13,000 terrorists have been killed and 124,000 have surrendered. This data was first made public by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu during an APC summit marking Tinubu's second anniversary in office.
