Nahimat Adekoga
Online Media Publishers have been urged to report issues of national interest with high sense of patriotism.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who criticized the act while speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Monday after a one-day seminar on “Assessing the Threats of Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria’’
The appeal followed online reports celebrating loss of Lt-Col. Muhammad Abu-Ali, who was killed by Boko Haram terrorists during an ambush on Friday.
According to him, reportage of the Boko Haram activities is one of such issues that the media should be careful in what they report so as not to misinform the public hereby jeopardising the government efforts.
He said that online media had misunderstood Nigerian Army in its fight against terrorism in North-East.
The Army chief noted that whatever happens to the military is a symbol of the country’s sovereignty.
He maintained that if military are been ridiculed as well as security agencies, one is automatically ridiculing the country and its sovereignty.
Buratai said the media are expected to take issues of defence and security as their personal issue but not to criticize, malign, or smear anybody that is making sacrifice.
noting that military discharges their job professionally.
“This is the understanding we expect every Nigerian to show because normal administrative matters is not meant for criticism, we have a lot to do to ensure the country is safe as the fight against insurgency and terrorism require support of every Nigerian’’ he said.
