The Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria has urged media regulatory bodies in the Country to urgently call to order some media platforms over their incessant false, unpatriotic and biased reportage against the Nigerian Army and its various ongoing operations across the country.
Notable example is the recent propaganda and fake news in some sections of the media claiming that the Nigerian Army purportedly handed over its Armored Personnel Carrier to some remnants of the Terrorist groups operating within the Zamfara State axis led by one Bello Turji whose activities have been highly degraded by our gallant troops.
While this statement itself is highly preposterous, one is seriously taken aback by the so call despicable narratives against the Nigerian Army by some obviously jaundiced and compromised media platforms, using their platforms to celebrate criminal elements when military operations suffer a setback.
In a press statement issued on Monday, 2nd September, 2024 at Ibadan, Oyo state, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, and Barrister John Atani, the Convener and the Secretary of the Coalition, states that the smear and fabricated tales by the section of the media without cross checking from the Nigerian Army authorities about the purported taking over and burning of the Armored Personnel Carriers are part of the sponsored grand plot to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces, within and outside the country.
This publication further smacks of deliberate fabrication and mudslinging against the Nigerian Army and it’s leadership. The Coalition once again condemned in totality those platforms who are now purveyors of fake news in the Country.
These unpatriotic characters behind the confused and amateurish plot against the Nigerian Army, and indeed Nigeria, have failed to provide any evidence to back up these false narratives or provide any proof that the so called bandits overpowered our gallants troops to take over any Armored Personnel Carrier or the propaganda that the Nigerian Army gave the vehicles to the so called bandits.
The Coalition uses this medium to call on all Nigerians to always support our gallants troops, while commentary on military operations should be left for the professionals to handle, because military operations should not be reduced to beer parlour gossips.
The Nigerian Army is on it’s final clearance operations against the remnants of banditry in Zamfara State and all other states in the Northern part of the Country.
While we found it curious that some media platforms have continued their malicious lies against the Nigerian Army and its leadership, it is becoming obvious that the affected media platforms are running errands for certain criminal elements in the Country. It is a statement of fact that terrorism thrives on propaganda and broadcasting terrorists’ successes or victories embolden them the more.
The Coalition, by this statement, calls on all media houses to partner with the Nigerian Army to rid the nation of all remnants of bandits and other criminal elements in the country and not allow their platforms be used to propagate fake news and false narratives against the Nigerian Army in its operations.
