ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA IN COUNTER TERRORISM AND COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATIONS IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

Abstract

A key responsibility of the Nigerian government is to ensure that its populace are well informed on issues regarding their safety. In fulfilling this responsibility, the government explores all necessary tools at its disposal including the effective use of the media. The media as an element of national power must be supportive of government efforts against the Boko haram insurgency. The Federal government thus put up strategies to ensure collaboration between the media and security agencies which include using the media as tool to counter terrorist narrative, enhance conflict sensitive reporting, denying access and effectively containing the deployment of media platforms by the Boko Haram insurgents to weaken national security in Nigeria. Despite these efforts, the federal government finds it difficult to effectively manage the media in the counter terrorist operations in the North East. This study therefore set out to examine the effects of the mass media activities in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations, identify the challenges confronting mass media in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in Nigeria, highlight the prospects of mass media in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in Nigeria and proffer strategies that could be proffered to enhance mass media involvement in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in Nigeria. This research employed the survey research. This enabled the researcher to collect, collate and analyze data derived from a reasonable number believed to be representative of the entire population. The mass of data generated in the course of this study was analysed using qualitative and descriptive analysis as it seeks to analyse works of other scholars and official documents. The study found that the effects of the media on counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in the North East Nigeria are psychological operations, force multiplier, human rights and credibility. The challenges militating against the effective use of the media in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in the North East include partisan media ownership, inadequate ICT infrastructure and lack of media monitoring unit. Others are lack of synergy and the absence of social media policy. The study also observed that the Nigerian media has not lived up to expectation in keeping to the path of honour. The media has not lived above nepotism, bribery or monetary inducement and blackmail. The media has in some cases fallen under the influence of king makers, quota system, ethnic bias, religious bigotry etc. The study recommended among others that the media must work with the security agencies to understand the sensitivity of information at their disposal so as not to disclose classified information as to secret approaches of countering the insurgencies