By Atinuke Alao
The Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, has urged the media to resist according underserved oxygen of publicity to terrorists’ behaviour.
He noted that media coverage of terrorist attacks often sway public perception.
Aremu stated this in Ilorin on Sunday shortly after his electronic membership registration of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at Baboko Ward, Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state.
The call came on the heels of the recent terrorists’ attacks on Woro and Nuku communities, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where over 75 people were officially confirmed to have been gruesomely murdered.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was in Ilorin last Saturday, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to commiserate with the people of the two communities and the state over the deadly attacks.
However, Aremu while speaking on the sidelines of his electronic membership registration of APC, said, “Media coverage of terrorist attacks often influence public perception, journalists must “remain measured, less sensational and resist according underserved oxygen of publicity to terrorists’ behaviour that would further amplify fear among citizens inadvertently advancing the evil of the terrorists.”
He advised media practitioners to avoid sensational reportage that conferred undeserved publicity to the cowardly activities of criminals.
Aremu, who is also a Member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies ( NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, observed that the terror attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government, on Tuesday February 3, which resulted in mass murder of residents eliciting humanitarian crisis tasks professionalism of journalists with respect to “ethics, balance and sobriety.”
He said rather than promoting gory stories of deaths and destruction being the trademarks of cowardly extremists who operate in darkness, the media should bring to the fore the commendable efforts of the affected communities, state and the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to overcome the pain and stem the tide of attacks.
“Certainly Nigerian media have done very well in news coverage of “the good” about this democracy. But in an open society, both the good and the bad operate. The media have the discretion not to cheaply allow the criminals who operate in the dark to enjoin the publicity meant for the best citizens,” Aremu said.
The MINILS Director General, who commended the prompt response of both the Kwara State government and the federal government through security deployment, humanitarian aid to Woro and Nuku communities, advised that efforts should be more on prevention through prompt actions on intelligence reports about plausible attacks.
“It was time for development approach to fighting terrorism through reclaiming ungoverned spaces through growth and development. Let there be industries, agro-allied industries, schools and governments and roads, and electrification, gainfully employ the youths and make them less vulnerable to extremism.
“There are three solutions to terrorism: Development, Development and Development,” the front line labour leader said.
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