Nigeria Military and the Media in an Era of Counter Insurgency Operation: the Need for Synergy

For about a decade now, the Nigerian government in collaboration with members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission have continued to fight the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists. Few years ago, member states of the commission formed Joint Multinational Military Task Force (MJTF) to provide a more robust pool of human and material resources in the counter insurgency operation. Despite the formation of the MJTF and the declaration of Nigerian government that Boko Haram has been technical degraded, the terrorist group remain audacious in its onslaught against the Nigeria state and its military establishment. The effects of Boko Haram terrorists remain legion especially in the North eastern part of Nigeria. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) report shows that Boko haram insurgency has led to the displacement of 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad Basin with over 494000 internally displaced persons in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The report also shows that the North-eastern region of Nigeria remain the worst hit with about 1.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 47100 IDPs in Cameroon, chad and Niger.

On Sunday, 6^th January 2019, there was intense hullaballoos in Nigeria media circle , unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. To the chagrin of Nigerians and indeed the international community, the Nigerian Military in collaboration with a team of Police and other security operatives stormed the Offices of Daily Trust Newspaper in three different locations of Abuja, Maiduguri (Borno state) and Lagos. It was further gathered that soldiers arrested and ransacked the Abuja and Maiduguri offices of the newspaper and made away with sensitive operational equipment like desk top computers, laptop and confiscated sensitive files used for news production.

While the invasion of the Abuja office of the newspaper was being perfected, another team of Soldiers stormed the North–east regional office of the same newspaper, located in Boko Haram ravaged Maiduguri, Borno state. In Maiduguri, the Soldiers arrested the regional editor and a reporter, Uthman Abubakar and Ibrahim Sawab.

The Army claimed that the invasion was based on the report published in the newspaper political editor on the planned steps by the Army to retake Baga, after series of Boko Haram terrorist onslaught weakened the military formations in Baga.

The Nigerian Army through its spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman, claimed that the report “divulge classified military information, thus undermining national security.” And that the publication of the story contravenes the National security Act on disclosure of sensitive security information or secrets which are capable of undermining national security.

Since the counter insurgency operation began, there have been several moments of hostile relationships between the Nigerian military and the media. The Army had and still continues to arrest and intimidate journalists. Media houses have also been invaded and critical production gadgets carted away. This essay examines the reasons for the adversarial relationship between the military and the Media in Nigeria, especially in this era of counter insurgency operations and recommends feasible strategies for building harmonious collaboration or synergy between the military and the media.

Why the Hostile Relationships between the Military and Media in Nigeria?

According to the Nigerian military, the incessant reportage and often exaggeration of the Boko Haram activities tend to undermine the morale of the soldiers. Such biased reportage coated with gory pictures of slain soldiers equally dampens the morale of the families and friends of military officers, who read, hear and watch such news items on different media platforms like newspapers, radio, television and social media.

The military equally accused the media of divulging sensitive and secret security information to members of the public. Some of the secret intelligence information which journalists usually disclose in their reportage usually trickles down to members and sponsors of Boko haram insurgency too. This dissemination of information usually lay a solid foundation for the terrorists to easily understudy the plans and tactics of the military and res-strategies for attacks. The disclosure of classified information which often contains counter insurgency operation strategies of the military exposes the troops to danger.

Furthermore, there have also been several accusations of the media by the Nigerian Military of inaccurate reportage of military and civilian casualties in the course of counter insurgency operations. In recent Boko haram attacks of Army detachments at Melete, Baga and Bama , there were wars of words between the Army and media houses over the exact number of soldiers killed, injured and missing.

For instance, in the recent November 18, 2018 Boko haram insurgent attack against military formations in Melete village of Guzamala Local Government Area of North Borno State, the military criticised members of the media for their unguarded and falsified reports which were being bandied on several online, print and broadcast media outlets. This angered the military and made them to hurriedly issued a press statement which reads thus “ It is important for the public to note that the Nigeria Army (NA) has laid down procedure for reporting incidents that involve its personnel who fall casualty in action…to avoid exacerbating the grief family members would bear, were they to discover such from unofficial sources ”.

The Army spokesperson further lambasted media houses and journalists for circulating fake news. He noted in the press release that “it suffices to observe that several social media, print and online publications have been brandishing false casualty figures as well as circulating various footages of old and inaccurate Boko Haram terrorist propaganda videos and alluding to some attacks of 157 Task Force Battalion…The spurious circulations of some of these videos only contribute to further propagate the propaganda intent of the terrorists; to misinform the populace and portray themselves as what they are not”.

Building Cordial Relations between the Nigerian Military and the Media: What can be done? Winning the war against Boko Haram requires a holistic approach by both the Army and the media. The Nigerian military must understand that media houses and practitioners have strategic roles to play in reporting, analysing, documenting and educating members of the public on the current state of affairs in the war against insurgency. What the Army must insist on, using appropriate legislative and institutional frameworks, is objective reportage.

The Nigeria Army and other security agencies engaged in the current counter insurgency operations in the Lake Chad Basin and North Eastern region in particular must partner different media houses and practitioners. This is necessary in order to coordinate effective coverage and objective reportage of news on the counter insurgency operations. In fact, the Nigerian Army must critically appraise and if necessary, overhaul its current procedures of reporting of cases of casualties of its personnel in line of duty. With modern information and communication gadgets, the Army should have a rapid news coordination and dissemination centre manned by both military and civilian media or communication experts. This could help whittle down the production and dissemination of fake news on Boko Haram terrorists.

Furthermore, the Nigerian Military should partner with media Associations such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Guild of Editors to ensure that licensed media practitioners from various media houses who fail to uphold the ethics of the journalism or undermine extant media laws are punished.

In terms of online media platforms, the military must follow extant cybercrime laws in the prosecution of individuals or organizations that disseminate false information that are capable of jeopardizing Nigeria’s national security exemplified in the current counter insurgency operation. Consistent media awareness by the Nigeria military is equally important. Using Radio, television and newspaper outlets, the Nigeria military must engage deeply with citizens at the grassroot level. The Army should intensify efforts to communicate with the citizens in the local languages. It is not enough for the Army to issue press statements on its Facebook and Twitter handles alone.

The Nigerian military must see the media as partners in the fight against insurgency. The media must equally remain committed to objective reportage and analysis of issues pertaining to the current counter insurgency operations. Disclosure of classified information that exposes the military officers to danger must stop. The Army should desist from invading and arresting media houses and journalists performing their legitimate duties. Both the Army and the media should strive to serve Nigerians and preserve national security.

Abah Danladi, A Civil Society Advocate and Researcher writes from Anyigba, Nigeria.