Follow Us on Google
By Kate Halim
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya has urged journalists to shun the publication of fake news, even as he noted that one of the biggest obstacles to ending the war on terrorism in Nigeria is the high population growth in the country.
According to Yahaya, the country’s high rate of population growth has been a double edged sword. He said: “Higher population means there is a larger talent pool for economic growth activities; but this larger talent pool has also led to a significant growth in the number of those who are being lured to use their energies negatively.”
He spoke at a virtual conference with some newspaper editors. Yahaya who said he shared the unbearable pain of those who have lost family members and friends due to activities of criminals and terrorists, said the military was determined to ensure that every member of Nigeria’s 50 million families was safe from external and internal aggression.
According to him, the recent report from the 2022 global terrorism index reveals a decline in the prevalence of terrorism in Nigeria.
“Based on our assessment, the military is using all within its capacity and capabilities to achieve this goal. In all, let us never forget that security is not a destination, it is a journey, and we are on the right path.”
Yahaya also shed light on the role that fake news plays in the fight against terrorism at the moment. He noted that terrorists and terrorism thrive on publicity as many news consumers may find it more difficult to differentiate between true and fake security stories.
Yahaya said: “For instance, a while ago, we intercepted communication from a criminal gang who were part of an incident. This criminal gang was highly dissatisfied that the incident was not reported in the press. Terrorism thrives on the promotion of fear; especially the continuous coverage of terror incidents.”
The Chief of Army Staff stated that more than ever before, it has become necessary for journalists not to unintentionally align with the strategy of the terrorists. He said that “It is not the military alone that is fighting terrorism; it is the country; so the solution should not be limited to only the military. Citizens also can also assist by sharing information before incidents happen.”
Yahaya noted that military operations have improved this year because of the tough choices and decisions President Muhammadu Buhari made in the last 12 months; especially regarding defence-related investments.
He however stated that national security and defence should not be the responsibility of the military only. He said that research has proven that the military line of operation is less than 20 per cent of what is required to achieve complete peace. Yahaya said that the synergy among the Army, Navy and Air Force was presently at its highest, noting that there was no time in recent history that it had been better than this.
“Getting people to do the greatest things is what the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor has done differently,” he noted.
