President Muhammadu Buhari has called on journalists to report the security situation in the country as “declining insecurity” and not “rising insecurity”.
President Buhari made this known in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, on Monday to mark the occasion of Eid-ul-Maulud.
According to the president, the military and police force continue to effectively combat criminals across the country, adding that the level of crime has been reduced to a lower level.
He urged the media to address the tone, content, and standards of reporting into security and safety measures, saying they should encourage the security agencies with their reportage instead of antagonising it.
The statement read: “The President uses the occasion to give a snapshot of the increased activities the Armed Forces, Police Force, and intelligence agencies have embarked upon to effectively respond to the security challenges in the nation.
“He says the government fully expects and intends for these trends to continue, and calls on the media to address the tone, content, and standards of reporting into security and safety measures. Time has come to revise the prefixes ‘rising insecurity’ with ‘declining insecurity’.
“The President adds that increased cooperation and collaboration from the citizenry, coupled with reinvigorated, dynamic, and energised police, security and military leadership is helping the administration score more victories against terror, criminality, and economic sabotage. The reality of declining insecurity should replace the inaccurate narrative of rising insecurity in the country.
“While there is work to do, the men and women in uniform who are helping the nation to achieve this goal, desire our collective appreciation and encouragement to do even more. The whole country and its mass communications systems have a duty in this regard.”
The president felicitated with Muslims “on the occasion of the Maulud-Un-Nabiyy, the birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him”, urging them to strive for “forgiveness and closeness to the noble life and teachings of the Prophet (SAW) whose birthday is being marked on this blessed day”.
