Face War On Terror, Not Media

Recently, federal government officials seem to be preoccupied with managing public optics arising from the insecurity ravaging the nation. They frequently appeal to journalists to avoid giving prominence or front-page coverage to activities of terrorists, bandits or other non-state actors, even as they result in the deaths of defence or security forces or the killing or mass abduction of citizens.

At a two-day National Security Summit jointly convened on June 18–19, 2026 by Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged the media: “Please, take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages. This is what they crave, free of charge.” He added that the way forward is the pursuit of “responsible journalism” for nation-building, denying terrorists the publicity they seek for fear, recruitment, and propaganda, while celebrating security forces’ efforts. The Minister made similar appeals, alongside other top defence and security leaders, at other events.

President Bola Tinubu, at the inaugural State House/Presidential Press Corps Dinner on July 2, 2026 in Abuja, implored the media not to become “megaphones for terrorists and kidnappers” or amplify voices of those harming the country. He called for facts over sensationalism, putting national interest first in reporting security operations.

Daily Trust believes that the consistent focus on the media coverage of insecurity is diversionary as what defeating terrorism primarily requires are decisive intelligence-led kinetic military actions, non-kinetic initiatives especially addressing underlying socio-economic drivers fuelling insecurity. We don’t envisage an era when concealing facts on the activities of terror groups will become the norm as it will merely normalise violence.

We caution the government to note that what is being lost in their appeals is that the media are merely reporting unfolding events rather than creating them. And silencing the news does not equate to eliminating their root causes. Deviating from this professional task would be a negation of Section 22 (Chapter II – Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy) says: “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”

Moreover, there are federal government agencies tasked with oversight functions on the activities of the media sector and we call on the government to first use the platforms to ensure responsible reporting, prevent public panic and the glorification of criminals and support accurate and balanced coverage. The agencies include the Nigerian Press Council Act (1992, amended 1999), National Broadcasting Commission Act (1992, amended) and the industry-led co-regulatory body, National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC)/National Ombudsman established in 2023 by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), the umbrella body of Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), NUJ and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) among others.

Daily Trust believes that silencing or downplaying reports of terrorists’ activities will not eliminate the ongoing security crisis but will simply inhibit risk of leaving affected communities without vital early warnings as well as hindering public accountability in the fight against insecurity. Any form of self-censorship would be a direct threat to press freedom, professionalism and accountability, a clear existential threat to an essential and resilient element of governance.

The way to go is clear understanding of boundaries that protect national interests without sacrificing the truth or hiding reality under the rug. In any case, what the media is doing is capturing what will invariably be the defining chapters in Nigeria’s modern story, the resilience of the people amid chaos, including its governance failures, and societal strain.

Going forward, we counsel journalists to continue working on accurate reporting while employing virtues of creativity, patience, and caution. And because terrorist organizations have increasingly bypassed traditional Nigerian media by utilizing encrypted apps and social media directly for their propaganda, recruitment, and fundraising, we call on the government to collaborate directly with tech platforms to take down extremist accounts.

We also urge the government to note that journalists are patriotic citizens who understand the need to balance press freedom with national interest, and the imperative of supporting the troops through highlighting their sacrifices and gains. Therefore, they should respect the public’s right to information, which should neither be abridged nor suppressed. Any attempt will surely create information vacuum which will invariably be filled with rumours and risk the citizens’ right to assess risks, hold authorities accountable, and make informed decisions about their safety.

While urging the media to refrain from using graphic images, glorifying perpetrators, or broadcasting manifesto videos of any non-state actor or group, the government should also be proactive with timely release of information especially during ongoing defence or security operations or hostage situations. Such collaboration should also affect cases where there are operational reasons to delay the release of tactical information.

Most importantly, the media should never deviate from its professional duty of serving the public and not any special interest group. Uncomfortable truths should and must still be reported professionally through the exercise of the right editorial judgment. Any deviation would result in media loss of credibility and its constitutional right to impart information. Culled From Daily Trust