Banditry: NUJ President urges Journalists to support Nigerian Military

The President of the Nigerian Union Of Journalists NUJ, Chris Isiguzo has urged media practitioners in the country to support the Military in the fight against insecurity.

Mr Isuguzo stated this during the NUJ Press Week in Minna, Niger State Chapter of the union.

He persuaded Journalists in the Country to always report factual information on the ongoing insecurity and criminality happening across the country as part of their responsibilities in bringing an end to the menace of insecurity bedevilling parts of the Country.

“As Journalists, we should always report crime activities at all levels without political or ethnic-religious sentiments.

“We must protect Nigeria because we don’t have any other place to call home. You can never be comfortable in a foreign land the way you will be in your own land,” he stated.

The Chairman of Blue Print Newspapers, Mohammed Idris Malagi called for increased synergy and partnership between media and security agencies in tackling challenges of insecurity in the country.

Malagi represented by Jibril Baba Ndace, a former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Of Niger State, who spoke on media and insecurity in Nigeria, harped on the role of media in supporting the government to end insecurity in the country.

He urged media practitioners in the country to be cautious, ethical, principled in their reportage and avoid over harping certain issues that have the capacity to dampen the efforts of the security agencies thereby threatening national security.

“Within their pervasive powers secured by relative freedom, what journalists and their institutions publish or broadcast represent potent sources of perception and influence. Beyond their normative, traditional roles of information, education, enlightenment or entertainment,“ he added.

Malagi further stated that the media and the general public must rise to the challenge of combating rising insecurity in the nation by embarking on communication–based approaches that would effectively stigmatize such acts in society.

He, therefore, urged Journalists and other media workers to always engage in responsible and civic journalism as a way of complementing the media role in exposing and combating insecurity in the nation.

Malagi however stressed on the need for media practitioners to expand for robust national discourse and ensure adequate professional ethics are followed.

He also advised security agencies in the country to continually put Journalists in confidence in the management of security information.

“Security is everyone’s business hence the security agencies must put the media into confidence on efforts at curbing the ugly trend around the country,“ Malagi said.

PIAK