The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has urged journalists to prioritise verification, accuracy and restraint in security reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that misinformation could heighten tension and put lives at risk.
Disu gave the warning on Wednesday at a one-day capacity-building workshop on “Responsible Security Reporting Ahead of the 2027 Elections,” organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The IGP, represented by the Director of the National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Akaninyene Ezimma, said election security was a shared responsibility between law enforcement agencies and the media.
He said the media had significant influence over how Nigerians interpreted security and electoral developments, stressing that such influence must be exercised responsibly.
“The media has the power to shape how Nigerians understand what is happening around them. That power must be exercised with responsibility,” he said.
Disu warned that the rapid spread of false information through photographs, old videos, fabricated statements and AI-generated content could trigger fear, panic and confrontation.
He urged journalists to adopt the principle: “Stop! Check! Confirm! Report!”, rather than sacrificing accuracy for the speed of breaking news.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, represented by DCP Ibrahim Jibrin, called for greater verification in security reporting.
Sanusi said the police would remain accessible and responsive to legitimate media inquiries while ensuring that operational information was protected.
“Responsible security reporting can calm tension, promote public understanding and support security operations; inaccurate, unverified or sensational reporting, on the other hand, can unintentionally create fear, panic and distrust,” he said.
In her welcome address, NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, said the workshop theme, “Responsible Security Reporting in the Age of Citizen Journalism: Protecting Nigeria’s Stability Ahead of the 2027 Elections,” underscored the need to balance the public’s right to information with the responsibility to prevent harm.
Ike said the training was aimed at strengthening the capacity of security correspondents to verify and contextualise information, apply ethical and legal standards under pressure, and engage security agencies professionally without compromising journalistic independence or the public interest.
She identified eyewitness verification, contextual reporting, source protection, ethical restraint and digital literacy for detecting deepfakes and manipulated content as key areas of focus.
“As the NUJ FCT Council, we pledge our support to journalists undertaking this demanding beat,” Ike said.
She also called on security agencies to engage transparently with the media and respect press freedom while carrying out their responsibility to protect public safety.
Retired Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi, in a goodwill message, advocated expanded digital-literacy campaigns, stronger fact-checking mechanisms, transparent communication and ethical guidelines for citizen journalists covering sensitive security issues.
Resource persons, including former NUJ Chairman Abduljelil Adebayo and Deputy Director of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Busola Ajibola, urged journalists to clearly distinguish between unofficial claims and verified official information.
They also called on newsrooms to label unverified material, avoid sensational headlines capable of aggravating ethnic or religious tensions, protect vulnerable sources and strengthen internal verification and fact-checking systems.
The speakers further stressed the need for news organisations to provide adequate mental-health support for journalists covering traumatic security incidents.
The organisers said the workshop was designed to strengthen collaboration between security agencies and the media by improving journalists’ access to authoritative information while encouraging greater transparency from law enforcement agencies.
They expressed confidence that improved security reporting would help promote peaceful democratic participation and public confidence as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
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