Stop featuring terrorists on your front pages, FG tasks media outlets

The Federal Government has urged Nigerian media organisations to avoid giving prominent coverage to terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups, warning that such publicity inadvertently amplifies their activities and undermines national security efforts.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal on Thursday during a two-day National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.

The summit, themed “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” brought together media practitioners, security officials and communication experts to discuss the role of journalism in strengthening national security.

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Idris said while the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to press freedom, journalists must exercise responsibility in reporting security-related issues.

“Yes, we have to do our work; we have to report whatever happens, but you must know that the best reporter, the best editor, is the one who knows what not to report in the interest of nation-building,” he said.

The minister urged editors to reduce the prominence given to reports of attacks and criminal activities, arguing that terrorists often seek publicity through media coverage.

“Please, take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages. This is what they crave, free of charge. It saddens me when I see our front pages reporting the activities of these criminals while underplaying the achievements of our security agencies,” he added.

According to Idris, a secure and peaceful nation is essential for the survival and growth of the media industry.

He called on journalists to highlight the sacrifices and successes of security personnel who continue to risk their lives to protect the country.

“We must have a Nigeria to report first before we can even have a union or any other media organisation. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this nation survives,” he said.

The minister also noted that the Federal Government is complementing military operations with non-kinetic strategies aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity.

On education, Idris said more than 1.3 million Nigerian students have benefited from the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which was introduced to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent young Nigerians from accessing higher education.

He further disclosed that the government is working on improved welfare packages for media professionals to enhance their productivity and well-being.

The minister commended the media industry’s support for the country’s digital broadcasting transition, describing the recent launch of the digital switchover as a major milestone achieved through collaboration between government and stakeholders.

In his remarks, NUJ National President Alhassan Yahya said the summit was designed to strengthen cooperation between journalists and security agencies in the interest of democracy and national development.

Yahya praised the leadership of the DSS, stating that relations between the agency and the media have improved significantly in recent years.

“It may interest you to know that in the last one and a half years, there has been no record of intimidation or harassment by state services in this country,” he said.

Also speaking, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, described the media and security institutions as critical pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.

Neliaku announced that Nigeria had secured the hosting rights for the World Public Relations Forum scheduled for November 2026, marking the first time the event will be hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI), Musikilu Mojeed, stressed that national security and press freedom should not be viewed as competing interests.

According to him, democratic societies require both values to thrive, warning that security without accountability could encourage abuse, while freedom without security cannot be sustained.

“National security and press freedom are not opposing goals; they are mutually reinforcing pillars of democratic governance,” Mojeed said.

The summit was attended by representatives of major security agencies, senior media executives, former NUJ presidents and public relations practitioners from across the country.