The Borno Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Mr Usman Tar has called upon journalists and media organizations to move beyond past depictions of the state and begin to report on its current realities.
He made this appeal during a two-day workshop titled “Addressing Patterns of Violence, Injustice and Criminality in Nigeria,” held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The event was organized by International Alert Nigeria with the support of the Borno State Ministry of Information and Internal Security.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Commissioner emphasized that the media should stop portraying Borno based on historical events and instead focus on the state’s present conditions and achievements.
“The media is still trapped in the old narrative of Borno being the home of insurgency, but all this has changed; our 27 local governments are fully controlled by the federal forces,” the Commissioner stated. “There is freedom of movement, our transportation is booming, our agriculture is booming, and everything is working. This narrative needs to be carried by the media, and that is what I mean by journalists not projecting the state in its true position.”
He further assured that Maiduguri, the state capital, is now safe for residence and all business activities, including journalism.
The Commissioner conveyed the governor’s commitment to ensuring that journalists and media organizations have unrestricted access to information without fear of censorship.
Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, Country Director of International Alert Nigeria, explained that the workshop aimed to identify and address the primary security issues affecting Nigeria.
“This expert meeting on addressing patterns of violence, injustice, and criminalities in Nigeria is the second edition,” he said. “The overriding objective is to identify key resolutions for what is happening in different regions of Nigeria. Working in silos is always very counterproductive, so it is beneficial to establish peer learning opportunities like this, where we collectively assess the drivers of insecurity, violence, and injustice across the country.”
Nyulaku-Bemshima highlighted the importance of addressing these issues to promote growth and development.
He recommended various exit pathways, including amnesties, increased access to justice in communities where rights have been violated, and other kinetic and non-kinetic solutions.
Melissa Camaganacan, the 2nd Secretary of the High Commission of Canada to Nigeria, suggested incorporating gender equality perspectives in security measures.
Additionally, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, praised the workshop organizers for creating a platform to deliberate on solutions for peace and security in Nigeria.
Dr. Ochogwu was represented by Dr. Abosede Babatunde, Senior Officer at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Various stakeholders, including representatives from the Nigeria Army Resource Centre, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and security experts from North-West, South-East, and international organizations, commended the initiative.
They also called for the continued provision of such platforms for dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.
