Is Sahara Reporters serving the public interest?

By Timothy Antigha

The media are meant to provide platforms for the cross-fertilization of ideas, the articulation and scrutiny of arguments and the galvanisation of the outcomes for the advancement of society.  Consequently, the true essence of the media lie in the service they offer to humanity.  It is for this reason that the media rank among the critical elements of any nation. Alluding to this over-arching and fundamental significance of the media, the First Amendment of the United States constitution states clearly that Congress of the United States shall make no law to abridge the freedom of expression and by extension the freedom of the press.  This underscores the philosophy ofa free press as the cardinal principle of western political thought, as well asthose of other non-western societies including Nigeria.
However, as in every human endeavour, it appears that systemic abuses and other aberrant professional behaviours characterised by ownership influences, amplification and deliberate falsification of news reports,among other professional misconducts, have afflicted and threatened to destroy the essence of the media.  While the traditional media have done a great job of self-sensorshipto moderate these influences, the so called social or new media have elected to exercise “power without control”.
Due to the unique role of the media in society, the abuse of its sacred functions, whether by the traditional or new media, constitutes grave betrayal of trust which can have far-reaching consequences.  In this regard, the events that took place in Rwanda in 1994 readily comes mind.  While the wounds of the Rwanda genocide may be healing, the world has not forgotten the unprofessional and disgraceful contributionof the media to the eventual decimation of almost a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus.  In this case,it is recalled that a radio station; Radio Mill Collins in Kigali,that ought to live upto its professional code of urging dialogue and restraint, rather encouraged the Hutus to kill their Tutsi compatriots.
In Nigeria, the trajectory of the ongoing Boko Haram conflict may not be similar to what happened in Rwanda, but the outcome may very much be the same, because of the recklessness of a section of the mass media.  Nigerians who follow news and events particularly in the social media, will recall that in the last one year or so, a section of the media led by Sahara Reporters has embarked on a campaign to undermine the Armed Forces of Nigeria; the only protection that millions of Nigerians have for now against the dark clouds of violent religious extremists comparable only to ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
To achieve its aim, Sahara Reporters and their cohorts have targeted personnel of the Nigerian Army, first by inciting soldiers against officers.  Specifically, it was Sahara Reporters who claimed that there is massive corruption in the Nigerian Army occasioning the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms. Yet, there was no shred of proof to substantiate this allegation.  Secondly, Sahara reporters again contrived an interview where it claimedthat a soldier narrated cases of illegal deductions in allowances, as well as the false but widely reported issue of “inferior weapons”.
I must address the issue of troops allegedly fighting with “inferior arms”, a falsity which was peddled by a section of the media a few weeks ago. It was claimed that troops were made to confront Boko Haram terrorists with “inferior arms”.(It should be noted that most of those who orchestrated this false information have never handled a riffle). To unsuspecting parents, spouses, families and friends of soldiers in the North East, this may have been interpreted as callousness by the Nigerian Army and suicidal for their wards and husbands. The ensuing pressure mainly from families was largely responsible for troops having larger-than-life impression of Boko Haram and subsequently abandoning their positions even without a fight. Therefore, there is a credible link between the misinformation orchestrated by Sahara Reporters on “inferior arms”, and the unprofessional attitude of soldiers in the North East operations.It has since emerged that all these reports and interviews were fabricated by Sahara Reporters and hirelings.  Troops still conduct successful operations with those “inferior arms”. The authorities of the Nigerian Army must be commended for the disciplinary measures and confidence boosting efforts which have ensured that the soldiers who were almost lost to the subversive activities of the likes of Sahara Reporters, are now fighting like soldiers are meant to and recovering arms and localities hitherto taken by Boko Haram.
The most recent in the catalogue of abuse of the media by Sahara Reporters is a petition purportedly written by the Commander of 103 Battalion; one of the units serving in the North East.  The petition which went viral painted a gloomy and hopeless picture of the counter-insurgency operations in the North East and pleaded for the urgent intervention of the President and Commander- in-Chief.  Again, it has emerged that the Commanding Officer in question did not write the petition.  The Commanding Officer in the media briefing categorically denied the petition.  Coming at the heel of a chain of successes recorded in ground operations against Boko Haram terrorists namely, the recapture of towns like Gombi, Hong, Uba, Makera, Mubi, Holma and Vimtim, to mention but a few,  it becomes clear that Sahara Reporters and their cohorts may be the media arm of Boko Haram.
.    The probable aim of publishing that false petition was to throw spanners into the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North East by casting aspersion on the General Officer Commanding 7 Division and his Commanders, present the Commanding Officer of 103 Battalion as a disloyal officer and finally cause the Government and the generality of Nigerians to lose faith in the Army and its ability to successfully conduct the ongoing Counter –Insurgency Operations.In the light of this gross abuse of the noble Journalism profession by Sahara Reporters, it emerges that the agency is not in the media business for public good.  Its activities are clearly not in the interest of the Nigerianpublic.  By clearly acting in a manner that impedes the progress of our troops in the North East, but advances the interest of Boko Haram, Sahara Reporters deserves sanctions and retribution.
Consequently, the Federal Government and well meaning Nigerians should urge the Government of the United States to stop the operations of Sahara Reporters in her shores.  Also, Nigerianswhose future Boko Haram threatens should denounce Sahara Reporters and their operatives by boycotting their services en-mass.  Sahara Reporters is a fugitive media, hiding in a foreign country to aid the destabilization of Nigeria.  The petition written by its operatives but purported to emanate from the innocent Commander of 103 Battalion is clearly criminal, unprofessional and inimical to the interest of our nation. Nigerians must rise against all who collaborate with evil.

Colonel Timothy Antigha is the Chief of Staff, Department of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Nigeria Army