A group, Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS), has accused foreign media of propagating falsehood with the sole motive of tearing the country apart.
The think-tank, dedicated to conflict research in developing countries, stated this after examining the Boko Haram insurgency and exploring the possible factors behind its continuous existence.
It stated this in a detailed report titled “Foreign Links and the Weaponisation of Falsehood against Nigeria and Humanity” signed by its Country Representative, Ifure A. Ifure, on Thursday, in which CISS analysed the role of foreign media in furthering insurgency.
The group stated that it had observed that “the Boko Haram narrative as propagated in the media by some external links is an attempt to label the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as incompetent and lacking the political will to handle the crisis in the North-east.”
It also observed that the “use of propaganda by the Boko Haram terrorists is one of their principal weapons of war against the Nigerian state and in connivance with select international news mediums such as AFP, Reuters, and etcetera.”
“The team was able to identify that the bulk of the news emanating from most of the foreign media on the state of affairs in North-east Nigeria are outright falsehood with the intent to cause a distraction to the Nigerian troops and to further the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in operations in North-east Nigeria.
“On completion of this exercise and in a bid to avert further foreign interference, the Centre recommended that the Nigerian authorities must: Begin the process of auditing the credentials of the international NGOs in operations in North-east Nigeria to identify those that are carrying out espionage activities on behalf of some foreign interest that want to see to the disintegration of Nigeria.
“ Rise up to curtail the agenda of some vested international interest who by their proxies have launched a campaign of defamation against the Nigerian Military as evident in adverse reports, news stories, articles, documentaries been projected by these group with a vested interest in seeing to the advancement of the activities of Boko Haram in North-east Nigeria.”
