NAN Pledges Support For The Nigeria Armed Forces In The Fight Against Insurgency

The Director General (DG) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ima Niboro has expressed his readiness to partner and synergize with the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the fight against insurgency and other security issues to move the country forward.

The DG made this known in his office when the Director of Defence Information(DDI), Colonel Rabe Abubakar paid a courtesy call to the Agency in furtherance of his familiarisation visit to media organisations in Abuja area.

The DG expressed optimism on the efforts of the military to end insurgency as they are presently in control of the situation. He enjoined Nigerians and the media to encourage and support the Nigerian Armed Forces. ”Our Armed Forces has won many laurels across the world for fighting and winning wars, they risked their lives while saving the lives of other people and so they are capable of protecting the citizens of this Nation. They should therefore be commended”, he emphasised.

He implored the media not to celebrate insurgency with screaming headlines on the pages of newspapers and televisions at the detriment of the Nation. He enjoined Nigerian media to emulate foreign media saying “you will never see foreign media showing pictures of their dead soldiers on their televisions”. “If a terrorist knows that he can kill a thousand people and no media in Nigeria will report it, he will not do so. So, as long as we keep giving screaming headlines and prominence to reports on Boko Haram, the media will keep giving them the reason to kill more people”.

NAN, as a government agency he said would do all in its power to help the Nigerian Armed Forces succeed in the war against insurgency and put the interest of the nation first at all times in its reports. Mr. Niboro used the opportunity to speak extensively on the need to set up National Strategy to counter insurgency which would be keyed-into by all security agencies and other stakeholders in the fight against insurgency.

Earlier in his address the DDI declared that the visit was to seek more collaboration and partnership with media organisations in area of information gathering dissemination and control as well synergy to end the menace of the terrorists. Col Rabe Abubakar said that, the fight against insurgency should not be left to the military alone but should be the concern of every member of the society, hence, the need for NAN to help in educating our teaming masses.

While expressing the appreciation of the Chief of Defence Staff for the support the Agency has rendered so far to the Nigerian Armed Forces in reporting insurgency, Col. Rabe Abubakar solicited for assistance of the Agency to provide training for personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Radio Service (AFNRS).

It would be recalled that Col. Abubakar had earlier visited Ministry of Information, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Daily Trust, African Independent Television (AIT) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where he campaigned for more supports for the Armed Forces, especially our troops in the North East.