Al-Jazeera’s report on state of emergency, “civilian casualties” is contrived and misleading – Presidency

By DailyPost Staff on June 1, 2013

We view with grave concern, the attempt by sections of the media, especially the foreign media to mislead the general public and the international community about the on-going State of Emergency and military operations in three states of the Federation: Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. For the avoidance of doubt, the declaration of a state of emergency and the consequential security operations are meant to protect the civilian population and the territory from the macabre and dastardly assault on the Nigerian state by insurgents and terrorists. It is not an operation against innocent citizens as Al-Jazeera and others are suggesting.

In executing this sovereign objective, President Jonathan explicitly directed that the operations be conducted in line with applicable rules of engagement and peculiar care in managing a unique situation. In an earlier statement, he had also made it clear to the military high command and received assurances that those who violate their operational orders will be disciplined accordingly. In line with this regard for the rights of the civilian population, the President Jonathan had ordered the release of women and under-aged persons in protective custody, and made arrangements for their immediate rehabilitation. Fifty eight persons in this category have been released.

The Armed Forces have also secured the release of six women and children in Boko Haram captivity. There is nothing to suggest so far any violation of operational orders by the troops operating in the North East. Their intervention has received popular support, among the civilian populace, and within two weeks of operation, the possibility of calm and normalcy resonates even as enclaves of terrorists are raided and their capacity to continue their reign of terror heavily compromised. This is a process and the Government owes it to the people of the North-East to see it through.

The Jonathan administration believes that media reporting of the reality of living in a state of emergency is needed to keep the local and international community well informed and to hold accountable those prosecuting the military operation to help build trust and sustain the public support needed to build lasting peace.

Rather curiously however, the last two weeks have witnessed mischievous attempts by a section of the media to generate negative propaganda around these operations in the North East. Most recently, a video report by Al-Jazeera yesterday titled “Civilians among dead in Nigeria offensive” (May 31) sought to put the government and the people of Nigeria in bad light. This is regrettable. While we welcome an open interrogation of government’s activities, we reject any attempt to exploit the security situation in the North East to malign, discredit or otherwise undermine the country’s efforts by other surreptitious means. There can be no doubt that the Al Jazeera report of May 31 is in very bad taste.

Two quick points will highlight the concerns here: (1) the video is that of the unfortunate incident that occurred in Bama on May 7 and has no connection with the current operation. If anything, the victims shown in the video were those the Boko Haram attacked before they launched an offensive on the Bama prison (2) the claim that the man in uniform shown in the video is a Nigerian soldier cannot be sustained, because in a war-like theater as we have on our hands, anybody could have been clad in a military fatigue; and we have seen Boko Haram members appear in military fatigues in their propaganda videos. Besides, no soldier has left the frontlines since the beginning of the operations. Surely, this type of reporting on a serious national security issue is irresponsible and should be deplored by all.

We reaffirm the Government of Nigeria’s commitment to and belief in the professionalism of the Nigerian Military, an institution that has served with distinction on many occasions across the region and outside. We deplore the effort to encourage terrorists through unverified and inaccurate reporting, and the desperation to blackmail the current peace and security process.

http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/06/01/al-jazeeras-report-on-state-of-emergency-and-civilian-casualties-is-contrived-and-misleading-presidency/

Am coming back

.

God bless Nigeria

Who said its misleading? Hope its nt okupe

Al-Jazeera are boko sympathizers, i wonder why they are still allowed in this country, trying to soil Nigeria name, go back to your terrorist nations and soil thier already soiled names, not ours. But who ever believed the previous news report has to be kind of daft,

al-jazeera the terrorist news channel

I just hope the media is not playing politics this time around.

Reading through the post i came across words that affirmed and re-affirmed the exclusion of civilians amongst the casualties,me thinks a mess up has occured albeit unintentionally. Collateral damage they say but with the way they were sweating, i believe something has gone wrong and it'll unfold soon enough.

Boko haram though might be using this as a stage for propaganda (in respect to the military guy in the video) but there seriously has been a mess up somewhere not intentionally though, i think.

Still tinking.

With every male and now also women and teens and preteen's( a news reports indicate} a potential Boko haram tool,

It would be sheer foolhardy to think that civillian life will not be lost.



Boko tactics are heavily guerilla, it involves civillian coperation and hence civillian deaths,


Just don't let it be so much.


C.D

They are intellectual pros.titu.tes

God bless our troops!

Which party Aljazerra dey sef

martin1772: Who said its misleading? Hope its nt okupe

When last did you take your med?

This Al-jazeera won't mind their own business. I am not suprised though, aren't they based in d middle east? Middle easterns are muslims and Boko haram members are muslims. That explains it.

Soul_caine: Reading through the post i came across words that affirmed and re-affirmed the exclusion of civilians amongst the casualties,me thinks a mess up has occured albeit unintentionally. Collateral damage they say but with the way they were sweating, i believe something has gone wrong and it'll unfold soon enough.

Boko haram though might be using this as a stage for propaganda (in respect to the military guy in the video) but there seriously has been a mess up somewhere not intentionally though, i think.

so....

Soul_caine: Reading through the post i came across words that affirmed and re-affirmed the exclusion of civilians amongst the casualties,me thinks a mess up has occured albeit unintentionally. Collateral damage they say but with the way they were sweating, i believe something has gone wrong and it'll unfold soon enough.

Boko haram though might be using this as a stage for propaganda (in respect to the military guy in the video) but there seriously has been a mess up somewhere not intentionally though, i think.

so wat is ur contribution now...

arabs re cursed, wft is wrong with this people,na wa for aljazerra ooooo....just watched the video and theres no proof that the guy talking is a nigerian soldier....make God save us a;;






GOD BLESS NIGERIA

Hu is aljazeera..??

This is good news coming from Aljazeera (terrorists mouth piece), its a confirmation that the Nigerian armed forces is winning the war against BH. Otherwise, BH wont have cried for help from their brothers in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Aljazeera.

OK. It's all coming back to you.

abeg, wetin concern aljazeera for our internal security issue? :-Xabeg, wetin concern aljazeera for our internal security issue?

I watchd the news at the early hours of today..1am pricisely ....the first thng that kept banging and screaming in my mind after seeing the news was LIES LIES LIES cos im sure no nigerian army would be so lenient to sit on a chair and starts attending to the press...im so dissappointed @al jazeera

Please is Al-jazeera and Al-qaeda the same group?

Coolboi05: Hu is aljazeera..??

abi soosi deeper life lo n lo ni?

Aljazeera has been one of the best news stations in bringing news reports about incidents in the North East. Why will you criticize them because they bring news that you do not like?? Yvonne deserves some kind of Award.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Nigerian Soldiers have committed crimes, we have seen it before. The soldier is known to the reporter so i have no doubt in my mind that he is a Nigerian soldier. If i was in his position and soldiers are over stepping their bounds, i will speak up tooo...


It does not make him a mole, it makes him a man with a conscience.

Ofcourse the FG will deny. We have to realise that the innocents are far more than the guilty.

What do u expect frm a Jihadist TV network?
The NORTH must be forced to accept education. Thats d only way we can help them out of dis dia self-annihilation.
If u support ILLITERACY HARAM for the north, click LIKE below

Al-jezeeral's want to cause distabilization so that they can have more news to brocast. Stupid people.

What do you expect from Aljazerah? This is an Islamic media, and Boko Haram is of the Islamic religion, so, they must write something in support of an Islamic agenda. I very much doubt you will see that kind of report from them if the state of emergency were in some other part other than the Islamic north.

DO YOU NEED A FUNCTIONAL INTERNET SUBSCRIPTION THAT WILL NOT BREAK THE BANK?

Are you frustrated with your current dial-up internet connection?

Are you paying through your nose for a data plan that cannot serve your personal or small home or office internet needs?

Well, DQuest Technologies offers you a tested solution that will help you save up to half (and more) of what you currently pay on your data bundle.

THE OFFER!

With a token of N10,000 for our 60-day subscription, we give you:

1. An internet modem
2. A guaranteed 4GB data access (and more) over 60 days
3. Coverage in every part of the country.
4. Renewable subscription for as little as N1,500 monthly after initial 60-day subscription.

This solution is tested and guaranteed to give you value for your money

For further information, send an email to info@danlonquest.com and we will get back to you

Not satisfied? We give you a money back guarantee.

Just watched the video on youtube and if I see that yeye reporter around anywhere I will give her a dirty slap. Where was al jazeera when boko haram was bombing churches. Did they interview the victims. Now they have the effrontery to report this unconfirmed crap. I read an article a UK reporter wrote a few days ago abt how majority of Nigerians support boko haram. These are all lies. I think it's high time we kick the likes of al jazeera out of Nigeria. This is the wrong time to report such unconfirmed propanganda. I guess FG is hitting boko hard and they've contacted their friends in power in the middle east to tell al jazeera to deceive the world. We Nigerians are not buying it.