Take it easy

The Federal Government has threatened to penalize the BBC over a documentary made by its investigations programme Africa Eye about the so-called bandit warlords of Zamfara. Trust TV also has the threat dangling over its head.

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, alleged the documentary “The Bandit Leaders in Zamfara” glorifies the militants’ actions which have terrorized residents in the state over the years. He said the penalties against BBC would be set by the National Broadcasting Commission. Its public affairs director has told the BBC that sanctions will be communicated to the corporation and a local newspaper, Daily Trust, if they are found guilty of breaching the journalism code of conduct. In a statement, the BBC said Africa Eye “often deals with controversial and complex subjects.” It also said the story was overwhelmingly in the public interest and that it stood by its journalism.

The documentary, already widely discussed among Nigerians for the last several days, has come at a time when locals are becoming increasingly jittery over the government’s seeming inability to stop daring attacks by bandits and terrorists. Lately, they have launched deadly attacks and ambushes right in Abuja, the capital city. In July, they attacked a highly fortified medium security prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), freeing hundreds of inmates. Last week, the government shut down its unity colleges in the FCT because of threatened attacks by terrorists. Their students were in the midst of graduation exams. 

The increasing attacks by bandits and terrorists are happening not because the government is lax in stopping them. For sure, the military and other security forces are doing their best. The problem simply is that the terrorists are embedded in the population, making it hard for troops to attack without incurring collateral damage among civilians. Also, the bandits earn millions from ransom demands that keep them better supplied in terms of arms and materials.

However, stopping journalists from reporting the terror is hardly the right way to stop the criminals. It is true, covering their violent actions gives them unsolicited publicity. But this also helps the government because it is an opportunity to see the faces and hear the voices of terror first hand. The military often complains that it is not getting intelligence from the population in which the terrorists and bandits live. But here is the intelligence offered free of charge. We urge the government to take it and allow journalists to do their legitimate job without let or hindrance.