Call A Terrorist A Terrorist: A Brief Open Letter To The Nigerian Media

Dated November 6, 2024

Dear Nigerian journalists,

I have been saying this in private discussions over the years. Now, I'm forced to bring it to the public after reading a recent heart-rending report of the beheading of 10 farmers in Niger State, alongside a Chinese national. The assailants were said to have left with the 10 heads or thereabouts!

Just like similar news reports by other Nigerian media houses, the above referenced report by Sahara Reporters, uses the word 'bandit' where 'terrorist' should have been more fitting. Indeed, there should be a worse word for someone who committed such an egregiously heinous act, expressing a total absence of conscience and humanity.

For one thing, at this time of such a high level of food insecurity in the country, killing just one of our farmers could be likened to killing 1 million of us. Now, these beasts in human shape killed, not 1, not 2, 3, or 5, but as many as 10 of our farmers in one operation. And, of course, they have been killing these farmers over the years - which is one of the major factors contributing to this high level of food insecurity bedevilling us.

Again, think about how much the international image of this country gets damaged when a foreign national gets murdered in cold blood this way! It terribly damages our diplomatic connections while scaring foreign investors off the country's shores. Of course, we don't need to be told that this is a top reason behind our dismal economy.

It is on this note that I appeal with our journalists to cease from any use of language that amounts to sugar-coating the situation. Instead, our use of language shouldn't only portray the situation correctly but should also condemn these heinous crimes we are witnessing, possibly pricking the conscience of the perpetrators. So please, let's kindly call a terrorist a terrorist, and not a bandit.

Many of us may not have realized that we in the media are critical stakeholders in the economy. The way we practise our trade could make or mar our country and even the entire world. So, let's be conscious of this, especially with regard to the point I just raised: Media practice can be a force for good even in counterterrorism efforts. This can hardly happen if we make wrong choice of words in the reportage of terror incidents.

Sincerely,

Desmond Chinedu Nweke

For the Awake Digest Magazine

Comments

Who Is Servicing Bianca Ojukwu?

Bianca and Emeka on their wedding day in 1994. Image credit: Punch Newspapers I think it's unfair of anyone to expect a beautiful woman like Bianca Ojukwu to have stayed sexually chaste since the demise of her famous warlord husband 13 years ago. So, let nobody scratch that area. Or, if you still think she should have remained sexually chaste since 2011, you're free to make your point clear at the comments section👇. After all, we're in a democracy. Let's Continue... In the absence of any contrary opinion so far, let me continue with the established premise. I was saying that the goddess Bianca Ojukwu is expected to have a romantic partner/partners over the years. Same thing should apply to other wives of famous people who are dead or incarcerated. Such as Nnamdi Kanu's wife. If Uchechi Okwu Kanu has remained sexually chaste since late June 2021 when her husband went into his current incarceration, I would praise her to high heavens. But, if she has not, well, I wo...

#Learn2Learn: A New Idea For Acquiring Any In-demand Tech Skill With Relative Ease

Oremus Ventures' Learn2Learn: An Introduction Oremus Ventures is our sister brand with an almost unusual solution to Nigeria's poor economy. This solution is tagged ' Learn2Learn '. Learn2Learn by Oremus Ventures uses Google Classroom and other online platforms to teach its subscribers deep secrets for learning any tech skill much more easily and faster. Learn2Learn is inspired by the realization that learning in-demand tech skills is among the fastest ways to lift Nigerians out of poverty. Imagine getting paid an hourly minimum wage of up to $20 (about ₦31,000 today) as seen below 👇. In-demand skills are so called because the demand for them is currently higher than the supply. Therefore, learning one of these skills automatically sets you up to become highly sought-after by business owners with a lot of money across the world. Thus, you are well respected while getting fat pays. Because of how much they need people with these skills, the numerous companies seekin...

How To Handle Your Haters: A Lesson From Bill Gates And His Daughter (2)

Bill and Phoebe Gates. Image credit: Business Insider Do you know what? I learned that, growing up, Bill Gates was too small for his age and was often bullied at school and on the streets. As a result, he had very few friends - no more than two per time. As related in the archives , young Bill was a recluse who spent hours cocooned in his room. Once, during such a social withdrawal, his mom asked after him over the intercom, and Bill shouted back, “ I'm thinking… Have you ever tried thinking? ” The fact is: Young Bill Gates didn't have many friends. Unknown to him, many of his peers snubbed him because a rumor spread around town that “ Bill is the weirdest guy that God ever made ”. As acknowledged by Washington Post's Mark Leibovich, the real issue was that the boy Bill Gates III was an infant prodigy. As a result, he just couldn't get along with most of his peers and vice versa. But, it hardly became an issue to him because his attention was essentially somewhere else....

Another Blow On Igbo-Yoruba Rivalry

Chauvinism is the big dent on Africa One day, some generations of Africans will remember that it was decades of unhealthy rivalry among their ancestors that made them lose their place in the committee of humans. Unfortunately, those "ancestors" will point back to you and me. This must happen unless today's generation of Africans take the bull by the horns and walk the uncommon road. For example, they must look each other in the face and decide to unite, form a common front and fight their common enemies. The Famous Igbo-Yoruba Rivalry As A Case In Point Recently, many Nigerians of goodwill genuinely mourned the passing of one of the few icons ever thrown up from the Nigerian political space. His name? Professor Humphrey Nwosu. Late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. Image credit: USAfricaonline.com What makes Late Professor Humphrey Nwosu so iconic? It is the historical fact that he defied a military junta and insisted on letting basic democratic procedures be followed. So, he announc...

NIGERIA: Possible Strategies President Tinubu Is Using To Pocket The Country As He Did Lagos

Image source: The Southern Examiner I visited Festac Town Lagos in 2006 when Tinubu held sway as the state governor. One thing I noticed without anyone telling me was this high austerity level in the air - which contrasted sharply with my experiences in a couple other parts of the country. When I asked, I was told that the 3D suffering levels were as a result of The Obasanjo Federal Government withholding the allocation due to the state. I couldn't understand it because I always knew Lagos as a mega state with such a humongous IGR that it could function beyond average even without any federal allocation. It took me over a decade before I realized what the man was actually doing then under the noses of millions of citizens. I remembered to revisit this issue because I see now a reenactment of what happened in Lagos in those days. The only difference I see is that then, it happened at a state level but now it is happening at the national level. Here are some of the strate...

"Dear Husbands! How To Make Us Totally Loyal To You" - Wives

Imagine a situation where all the wives in the world had a meeting and issued a communique with the title in quotes above! Reading this article will be akin to reading such a document. Many men think that money is the biggest thing women desire from them. Nothing could be further from the truth. There's no doubt that every woman wants her man to be wealthy but you can have money and your woman will still not be loyal to you. Recent billionaire divorces like those of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are living testimonials in this regard. Therefore, you need something more than money to keep your wife totally loyal to you. What's That? To start with, you need to know that IT PAYS TO BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR SPOUSE. If you doubt it, go and study the life of everyone 60 years or older in your town who was notorious for marital infidelity and you will discover this: Nothing damages someone's life and destiny more than extramarital romance . Extramarital romance drains you emotionally and...

Awake Digest

Search This Blog