Opening battlefield to media broke Boko-Haram propaganda – Buratai

A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said timely dissemination of information by the military is vital to winning the war against insurgency and countering enemy propaganda.

Buratai stated this on Friday in Abuja when he received a delegation of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria Annual Lecture and Awards Committee.

He said the military’s failure to project its operations and provide timely information could affect its strategy and operational effectiveness.

Buratai said, “If you don’t project yourself, if you don’t get your information out as timely as possible, then be reassured that even your battle will be lost. Your strategy will be ineffective, which by implication, your operational execution will also be affected.”

The former Army chief said defence journalism was a critical tool for informing the public about the challenges, achievements and prospects of the defence sector.

He recalled that during his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army deliberately strengthened its relationship with the media by allowing defence correspondents to accompany troops to operational theatres.

According to him, the decision was partly aimed at countering the propaganda machinery of Boko Haram insurgents, who used information to spread their ideology and demoralise citizens and troops.

He said, “The terrorists, insurgents, use media, use information very strongly to propagate their ideas, to demoralise the citizens and even demoralise the military and the best way to counter it, as we did, was to carry the press along and they reported right on the scene.”

Buratai recalled an operation during which journalists accompanied the military convoy advancing towards Gamboru Ngala after troops had cleared Mafa and Dikwa.

He said the convoy was ambushed on the way, resulting in the death of one soldier and injuries to a general and another soldier.

According to him, the incident was reported live, allowing the military and the media to provide first-hand accounts of the operation and counter insurgents’ propaganda.

He said, “Those issues were reported live, and we now broke the Boko Haram information and media propaganda back, so they could no longer have the monopoly to tell the world, to spread rumours.”

Buratai commended defence correspondents for their role in reporting security operations and urged the media and military to sustain the relationship in the interest of national development and security.

Earlier, the DECAN President, Odita Sunday, said the delegation was at Buratai’s residence to formally notify him of his nomination and invitation to serve as Guest Lecturer at the 2026 annual lecture and awards ceremony.