Nigerian Army Names 100 Boko Haram Commanders On Wanted List (See Photo)

 

The chief of army staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday in Maiduguri, Borno State, launched some counter-terrorism campaign material which included a photo list of 100 Boko Haram kingpins declared wanted.

 

The photo list put together in banner form by the Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR), with messages written in different Nigeria languages, also had hotline numbers of the army seeking members of the public to call in if any of the wanted terrorists were identified anywhere in Nigeria.

 

Buratai, who launched the banner at the headquarters of the 7 Division, Nigeria Army, located in Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, called on the Nigerian populace to assist the army in identifying the wanted terrorists and sending vital information concerning them to the army.

 

The COAS launched of the photo banner shortly after he delivered the lead paper entitled, ‘Contemporary War and Reporting – the Dilemma of Military Leadership’, at the closure of the DAPR 3rd quarter study period for 2015.

 

Buratai had, in his paper, delved into the contemporary challenges of managing the image of the military in times of conflict amidst the complexities of new media where access to information dissemination tools are now in the hands of everyone.

 

He espoused that while the media continues to bow to the imperatives of seeking information about military operations, they should do so with some sense of national interest and security.

 

Buratai said while the Nigeria media continue to take the military to task over the presidential deadline to end Boko Haram by December, they should also be conscious of the fact that the deadline was, by inference, given not only to the military, but also to all Nigerians.

 

He said: “For Nigerian troops to succeed in the war against terrorism, Nigerians must take ownership of the military just as the soldiers are proud to be Nigerian soldiers”.

 

He also called on media practitioners to always stick to professional ethics while discharging their roles, and to imbibe the habit of seeking correct information from the army before going to the press.

 

“To avoid the unwholesome effects of unprofessional reportage, the media must clear from military public relations officers aspects of war activities that merit publication,” the army chief said.

 

“Deliberate efforts must be made to avoid sensational reportage. Above all, the media must be guided by the consciousness that they are stakeholders in the pursuit of national security.

 

“The media must emplace professional ombudsman to identify, ‘name and shame’ bad eggs in its fold. This is at the heart of true journalism and must be guarded at institutional and individual levels. “Media houses must address the needs of their staff and correspondents must rise above board in the face of inordinate distractions. The local media must appreciate that Nigeria, like other Third World countries, is a growing nation. The media must, therefore, defy actions of sections of the international press to condemn everything in the country.”

 

The army boss further recommended that “the media should ensure positive application of ICT tools in war reporting, while the federal government of Nigeria should institute measures to make Internet users accountable and sanction individuals found culpable.”