The minister emphasised that while security institutions are tasked with protecting lives and defending national sovereignty, the media plays a critical role as a watchdog and a bridge between the government and the public
KaNo —
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on Nigerian media organisations to stop giving prominence to terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements in news coverage, warning that excessive publicity inadvertently advances their objectives.
Speaking at a two-day security summit organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), the minister stressed the need for journalists to balance press freedom with national responsibility.
“Please take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages,” Idris said. “This is what they crave for free of charge.”
The summit, which began on June 18, brought together key stakeholders, including security officials, media professionals and representatives of government institutions, to discuss the evolving relationship between national security and the media. The Director General of the SSS is expected to deliver a keynote presentation on the second day of the event.
Participants at the opening session included officials of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, military and police officers, as well as representatives of the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, and the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf.
Idris expressed concern that media reports often highlight the activities of terrorists and criminals while underreporting the efforts and sacrifices of security personnel working to protect lives and property.
According to the minister, responsible journalism does not equate to censorship but requires editorial judgment in determining what should be reported and how it should be presented.
He noted that the most effective journalists are those who understand “what not to report in the interest of nation-building,” adding that safeguarding national unity must remain a priority.
“Nobody is calling for censorship. Nobody is asking the media not to do its job. But we must recognise that we have a country to keep and a unity to uphold so that Nigeria can make progress,” Idris said.
He highlighted the increasingly complex nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, organised crime, and the spread of misinformation. These threats, he noted, require stronger collaboration between the media and security agencies.
The minister emphasised that while security institutions are tasked with protecting lives and defending national sovereignty, the media plays a critical role as a watchdog and a bridge between the government and the public.
According to him, the NUJ has reported no cases of journalists being arrested or detained by the agency in the past one and a half years.
Idris challenged other security agencies to adopt similar approaches, expressing optimism that incidents involving the harassment or detention of journalists would soon become a thing of the past.
Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple security threats, including insurgency, banditry and farmer-herder conflicts.
Analysts attribute these challenges to a combination of factors, such as climate change, weak governance at the grassroots level, ethnic and religious tensions, and the proliferation of disinformation.
In the North-East, the Boko Haram insurgency, now in its 17th year, has expanded beyond its traditional strongholds in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The crisis has increasingly intersected with banditry in the North-Central and North-West regions, affecting states such as Niger, Kwara, Kebbi and Sokoto.
There are also growing concerns about the spread of violence to parts of southern Nigeria, with reports of attacks in states including Kwara, Ondo, and Oyo.
IPI Urges Security Agencies To Adopt Dialogue
Meanwhile, the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has urged security agencies to abandon the use of arrests, detention and intimidation as tools for resolving disputes with journalists.
Speaking at the summit, the President of IPI Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, emphasised that democratic societies possess adequate mechanisms to address disagreements between the media and the state without resorting to coercive measures.
Mojeed, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, attributed tensions between journalists and security agencies to inadequate communication, mistrust and the failure to utilise existing conflict-resolution channels.
He argued that national security and press freedom should not be viewed as competing interests but as complementary pillars of democratic governance.
“Security without accountability risks secrecy and abuse, while freedom without security cannot be meaningfully sustained,” he said.
According to him, alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms already exist, including dialogue platforms, self-regulatory frameworks within the media, professional accountability systems and judicial processes.
“These mechanisms can address disputes more effectively than raids, arrests, detention and intimidation,” Mojeed stated.
He acknowledged that tensions between the media and security agencies are inevitable due to their differing roles and objectives. However, he stressed that the responsibility of democratic institutions is not to eliminate such tensions but to manage them constructively.
The summit provided a platform for both sides to reflect on their roles in promoting national stability while safeguarding democratic values.
Observers say the discussions come at a critical time as Nigeria faces evolving security threats that require coordinated responses from both state institutions and the media.
For many participants, the key takeaway was the need for mutual understanding, trust and professionalism in navigating the delicate balance between informing the public and protecting national security.
As deliberations continue, stakeholders are expected to develop practical recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation between journalists and security agencies, while ensuring that press freedom and national interest are both preserved.
