Nigerians have been urged to stop celebrating terrorists and terrorism over a reported recent take over of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) of the Nigerian Army (NA) by a group of bandits.
The Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism made the call on Monday in a press release by its convener and Secretary, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi and Mr John Atani, respectively.
The Coalition particularly urged media regulatory bodies in the country to call to order some media platforms over alleged incessant false, unpatriotic and biased reportage against the Nigerian Army and its various ongoing operations across the country.
It cited as an example the recent propaganda in some sections of the media that the Nigerian Army handed over its APC to some terrorist groups within Zamfara State.
The Coalition claimed that the activities of the terrorists, led by one Bello Turji, have been highly degraded by the Nigerian gallant troops.
The group described the media report as highly preposterous. “One is seriously taken aback by the so-called despicable narratives against the Nigerian Army by some obviously jaundiced and compromised media platforms.
“They are using their platforms to celebrate criminal elements when military operations suffer a setback,” the Coalition stated.
Comrade Odeyemi and Mr Atani, the stated that “the smear and fabricated tales by the section of the media without cross-checking from the Nigerian Army authorities about the purported taking over and burning of the APC are part of the sponsored grand plot to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces, within and outside the country.
“This publication further smacks of deliberate fabrication and mudslinging against the Nigerian Army and it’s leadership. The Coalition once again condemned in totality those platforms who are now purveyors of fake news in the country.
“These unpatriotic characters behind the confused and amateurish plot against the Nigerian Army and, indeed Nigeria, have failed to provide any evidence to back up these false narratives.
“They have failed to provide any proof that the so-called bandits overpowered our gallants troops to take over any APC or the propaganda that the Nigerian Army gave the vehicles to the so-called bandits.
“The Coalition uses this medium to call on all Nigerians to always support our gallants troops. Commentary on military operations should be left for the professionals to handle because military operations should not be reduced to beer parlour gossips.
“The Nigerian Army is on its final clearance operations against the remnants of banditry in Zamfara State and all other states in the northern part of the country.
“We found it curious that some media platforms have continued their malicious lies against the Nigerian Army and its leadership. It is becoming obvious that the affected media platforms are running errands for certain criminal elements in the country.
“It is a statement of fact that terrorism thrives on propaganda and broadcasting terrorists’ successes or victories embolden them the more.
“The Coalition, by this statement, calls on all media houses to partner with the Nigerian Army to rid the nation of all remnants of bandits and other criminal elements and not allow their platforms be used to propagate fake news and false narratives against the Nigerian Army in its operations.”
