FG Outlines Role of Media in Tackling Terrorism and Security Threats

The Nigerian government has outlined how media can help in the country’s fight against terrorism, banditry and other security risks the nation faces.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Security Summit on Thursday said the media must see themselves as partners in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.

The media and security agencies must have a relationship of mutual respect and collaboration, Idris said at the summit.

He stated that national security cannot be achieved in an environment where misinformation proliferates.

He called on journalists to maintain ethical standards and responsible reporting on security issues.

“Thus the media and the security agencies relationship must be based on mutual respect, professionalism, trust and appreciation of their complementary roles.

“Misinformation is not amplified without verification, as national security is not served. Nor is it served when legitimate concerns of the public are ignored,” he said.

On his part, the country’s NSA, through his aide, Chido Onumah, said the government appreciates the right and duty of the media to inform but emphasized the necessity for a structured channel of information sharing that balances transparency with operational security.

“We’re all in this together. “Journalists need to have access to credible information; security agencies need to improve on their communication and transparency”, he said.

NUJ President Alhassan Yahaya Abdu, security chiefs and media stakeholders spoke on “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building’.

The summit comes at a time Nigeria is facing a resurgence of insecurity, with several Nigerians dead.