The Nigerian Army has called on Nigerians to support its efforts to defeat terrorists and other security threats.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, made the appeal on Thursday at the Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation Media Chat for the Fourth Quarter of 2025, held in Jos, Plateau State.
The appeal comes in the wake of fresh insecurity across parts of the country, including the recent attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, where gunmen killed worshippers and abducted several others.
The incident, which triggered protests by youths who blocked a major highway, has renewed concerns about rising terrorist and bandit assaults across the North-Central. Kwara authorities have since called for urgent security reinforcement.
In Kebbi State, security agencies are still responding to the recent abduction at a girls’ secondary school in Maga, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, where the vice-principal of the school was killed and students were kidnapped during a pre-dawn raid. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation and heightened pressure on security forces as rescue efforts continue.
Shaibu highlighted the critical role of the media in shaping public opinion and fostering unity of purpose, urging media practitioners to uphold objective, credible, fair, and responsible reporting on the Nigerian Army’s activities.
“We must maintain regular communication channels to ensure transparent reporting on military operations, timely dissemination of information, countering disinformation and misinformation while building public confidence.
“As the Army intensifies operations to eliminate the threats bedevilling our beloved country, I call on all Nigerians to support the Nigerian Army and urge the media to practise responsible and balanced reporting,” Shaibu said.
The Army Chief, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Major General E. F. Oyinlola, also emphasised the need for Nigerians to verify content that could undermine national unity and security before disseminating it to the public, to avoid spreading misinformation or inflammatory material often created using Artificial Intelligence.
“While the pen is considered mightier than the sword, we can all agree that our current security environment demands stronger cooperation and partnership between the pen and the sword, which in this regard represent the media and the Army. As the Nigerian Army enhances its pursuit of national security objectives, the media’s pivotal role in shaping public opinion, informing the public, and fostering unity of purpose cannot be overstated.
“Therefore, we must maintain regular communication channels to ensure transparent reporting on military operations, timely dissemination of information, countering disinformation and misinformation while building public confidence. I therefore urge media practitioners to uphold the tenets of objective, credible, fair, and responsible reporting on Nigerian Army activities while striking a balance between national security interests and the people’s right to information.
“It is also crucial to verify content that could undermine national unity and security before disseminating it to the public, to avoid spreading misinformation or inflammatory content often created using Artificial Intelligence. As the Army intensifies operations to eliminate the threats bedevilling our beloved country, I call on all Nigerians to support the Nigerian Army and urge the media to practise responsible and balanced reporting.”
Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Maj Gen Musa Etsu-Ndagi, echoed Shaibu’s sentiments, stressing the media’s pivotal role in moulding public perception and promoting understanding of security issues.
Etsu-Ndagi assured that the Nigerian Army remains committed to prioritising and ensuring the provision of accurate and comprehensive information to the media, adding that the Army is not only committed to safeguarding the nation but also fostering relationships that promote understanding and unity among the people.
The event, themed “The Nigerian Security Environment: Role of Strategic Communication in Strengthening Civil-Military Relations”, aimed to strengthen mutual understanding between the Army and media stakeholders, tackling current security challenges and promoting national security objectives.
Our correspondent reports that the event featured a series of paper presentations bordering on the impact of the media and emerging technology in addressing national security challenges.
A panel of discussants at the event agreed that the military and the media should see themselves as doing the same thing from different perspectives and should always find a middle ground to put national interests above all other considerations in the discharge of their duties.
