President Muhammadu Buhari has charged journalists and media houses to report declining insecurity despite daily evidence of killings in different parts of Nigeria.
The president stated this on Monday in his goodwill message to mark the Eid-ul-Maulud celebration.
In the statement signed by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, the president said it was time for the media to revise its reporting on the country’s security challenges.
“He says the government fully expects and intends for these trends to continue, and calls on the media to address the tone, content, and standards of reporting into security and safety measures. Time has come to revise the prefixes ‘rising insecurity’ with ‘declining insecurity’,” he said.
“The reality of declining insecurity should replace the inaccurate narrative of rising insecurity in the country.”
Buhari said he was using the occasion of the celebration to give a snapshot of the increased activities the Armed Forces, Police Force, and intelligence agencies, noting that they had effectively responded to the security challenges in the nation.
According to him, increased cooperation and collaboration from the citizenry, coupled with reinvigorated, dynamic, and energised Police, security and military leadership was helping the administration score more victories against terror, criminality, and economic sabotage.
While admitting that there was so much to do, Buhari called on citizens to commend and encourage security agencies in order to ensure lasting peace in the country.
He urged the Islamic faithful across the country to embrace forgiveness and closeness to the noble life and teachings of Prophet Mohammed, whose birthday was being marked.
Buhari’s statement is coming at a period when terrorists suspected to be bandits just attacked unarmed and innocent citizens in Sokoto and killed more than 30 persons.
In late September, while the Nigerians were preparing to mark the country’s 61st anniversary, gunmen suspected to be Fulani terrorists invaded a village in crisis-ridden Southern Kaduna and killed more than 34 persons in cold blood.
A report by SBM Intelligence and EiE Nigeria has shown that over 2,287 persons were reportedly killed in Nigeria in the third quarter of the year in violent incidents, including attacks by Boko Haram terrorists, herdsmen, bandits, abductions and gang clashes.
The report was based on media reports of the killings in Nigeria for the 3rd quarter from July to September 2021.
It indicated that 1, 153 civilians were killed, followed by bandits at 675 and Boko Haram terrorists at 170. Casualties on the part of law enforcement agents included: 105 soldiers, 67 police members and two immigration officers.
In total, about 176 security personnel lost their lives to attacks in different parts of the country within the period.
Zamfara State had the highest reported killings with 495, followed by Niger State at 306, Borno at 285 and Kaduna at 259.
Plateau State recorded 138 killings, Benue reported 113 and Katsina,107 deaths.
The North-West had the most reported killings at 961, followed by the North- Central at 102, and the North-East at 336.
The southern casualties were led by the South-East at 137, the South-South at 105, and 102 for the South-West.