This article from Naij.com, the 7th most visited website in Nigeria and a prominent online news source, discusses the state response to last week’s abduction of 110 girls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Nigeria. The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammad, stated that the current Bukari Administration has done more to locate these girls that the Jonathan Administration did back in 2014 when 100 girls were also abducted by Boko Haram. While speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the editor’s plaza of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja, Mohammad stated that the government had so far spent over 200 hours of air search for the missing schoolgirls.
Mohammad went on to say that the current administration’s counter-terrorism operations have limited terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram, to “cowardly acts” of bombing soft spots and kidnapping, suggesting that this administration has made it a priority to fight terrorism. Mohammad also made a plea for help to the media in his closing statements: “As of yesterday (Wednesday) we deployed over 200 hours of air search for the girls. Our appeal to the media today is to solicit for their support. We are now in trying times, it does not matter who is involved, we seek your support. We are not saying don’t criticize us but be very fair and do it in context.”
This is an important article because it highlights some parallels between the Buhari Administration and the current Trump Administration in the US in terms of maintaining a powerfully vocal stance against terrorism. Both countries have made counter-terrorism operations a top priority; it is important to understand that terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon and does not just affect US relations (despite what American media chooses to showcase). Additionally, this article highlights the often awkward relationship that the Nigerian government has with the media. In this instance, a state official is requesting assistance from the media, however, as seen in my first Global News Post, the state is often attempting to limit the influence of the media and suppress journalists, using force if necessary. Mohammad’s statement clearly indicates that the government is aware of this precarious relationship, as he acknowledged the criticism the government often finds itself fighting back against.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammad. (Source: OrderPaper.ng)