Dont glamorise Boko Haram attacks, Lai Mohammed tells media
(Nigeria) The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday urged the media not to glamorise attacks of the Boko
Haram sect.
Mohammed spoke during a courtesy visit to the headquarters
of the Punch Nigeria Limited in Magboro, Ogun State.
He appealed to the media in the country to be more
restrained in their reportage on Boko Haram attacks.
"When we glamorise the attacks, it gives the terrorists
more life, and in a time of insurgency like this, the media also has a role to
play, which is not to glamorise the attacks. Publicity is the oxygen that any
insurgent or group uses to survive; we are not saying that you should not
report what is happening. We do not intend to censor, interfere in your sense
of judgement or editorial.
"We believe in times of war, the media should know that
it has to be on the side of the country," he said.
The minister said that reports in the media were giving the
public an impression that government was losing the war on terrorism.
Mohammed emphasised that the Federal Government had met the
December deadline on terrorism.
"I think the military has largely succeeded in wiping
out Boko Haram.
The minister said that isolated bomb attacks on soft targets
should not be confused with insurgency, stating that such soft attacks would be
hard to eliminate.
"We insist that we have met it; it is not rhetoric, it
is true and the military has done its part, Boko Haram has been defeated.
"What is missing is the civilian end of the war,"
he said.
Mohammed urged the media to support the government in public
service campaign on what Islam is and the sensitisation on how to identify
Improvised Explosive Devices and suicide bombers.
"The media needs to play its role now and that is also
reporting equally the progress reports,” he said.
Mr Joseph Adeyeye, the Controller, Publications, Punch
Nigeria Ltd., who thanked the minister for coming, said that media would have
to reflect the realities in the country.
He urged the Federal Government to improve on its
intelligence gathering.
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