By Shamsuddeen A. Musa
In July 2009, the so called Islamist and jihadist rebel group, Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The insecurity situation in the country seemed to have assumed a more complex dimension. Apart from the frequency of deadly attacks and carnages, the challenge in Nigeria cuts across cities, towns, and villages in northeast, Nigeria. Properties destroyed and people live in misgiving everyday.
Insecurity has taken different forms in several parts of the country; armed robbers have dominated the southwest, cross-border bandits operate in the north, while kidnapping is common in the south-south. This challenge is supported by corruption and some unpatriotic citizens in different sectors.
According to the country’s Humanitarian Minister Sadiya Farouq, “Since 2016, 35 aid workers have died, 72 wounded and 28 kidnapped. The jihadist violence has killed over 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast since 2009.
Additionally, according to the UN, Boko Haram and rival ISWAP have been engaged in a 12-year-old conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million Nigerians by the end of 2021. In general, conflict had led to the deaths of almost 450,000 people and forced millions from their homes. Millions of vulnerable people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in north-east Nigeria face humanitarian and protection crisis due to conflict.
Also, the Conflict has caused widespread internal displacement, alarming food insecurity and malnutrition, and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, malaria and other communicable diseases.
Journalists have a role to play to tackle these crisis. They should apply cultivation media theory to educate the populace about the factors leading to crime.
Also media education should be brought in different dimensions: it is done in terms of creating awareness by placing different jingles on electronic media and adverts on print media on the negative impact of violence in any form and need for people not to avail themselves to be used or participate in any thugs.
Shun away corruption,” it is the cause of inequality and the unequal distribution of the wealth of nations among their citizens. Corruption at all levels must be eliminated in such a way that equal rights apply to all and rights and privileges of people are not agreed upon based on bribery and tribe but on merit, defined in relation to their Character content, their mental efficiency, and their efficiency; where there will be no discrimination”. Government should provide room for public execution to whoever is caught guilty of a crime, and corruption activities and allow the media to cover the events.
Education is the prerequisite and backbone of any development in the country. Proper education is the process of teaching, training, and learning, especially in schools, to improve knowledge and obtain skills. As such, the media should advocate for free and quality education for the citizens.
Finally, the media should collaborate with security agencies to have a roadmap for information dissemination and If possible avenue should be created for public feedback.
Shamsuddeen A. Musa, writes from Bayero University, Kano and can be reached through amusashamsuddeen@gmail.com
