The BBC in Nigeria: Between reporting and propagating terror, By Kadaria Ahmed
The unfolding anarchy and violence in Nigeria are serious matters, and every attempt must be made to keep the public informed. A documentary that investigates and examines government failures, while centring on victims and their families would have done that. Giving boastful, bloodthirsty criminals a global platform serves only two purposes. It provides free publicity for terror and enables the BBC to push viewership figures on social media.
It has simply gotten out of hand.
Journalists and now a global media organisation of repute, the BBC, which should know better, are becoming tools for terrorists, even if unwittingly, by amplifying the faces, voices and stories of killers and marauders who are still operating with impunity across Nigeria.
The public interest argument seems to have been misunderstood, some may even say misrepresented, to enable sensationalist reporting that is very unlikely to be allowed on screens in the United Kingdom. By not upholding the same standards as they would uphold in the UK, in their work in Nigeria, the producers of BBC Africa Eye, in their latest documentary titled “The Bandits Warlords of Zamfara”, have provided a global platform to terrorists and can be accused of becoming an accomplice to terror in the name of reporting it.
When Communications Professor at the University of Toronto, Mahmoud Eid, coined the term ‘Terroredia’, in his book Exchanging Terrorism Oxygen for Media Airwaves, Eid argues that there is now a “relationship between terrorists and media professionals in which acts of terrorism and media coverage are exchanged, influenced, and fuelled by one another.” Since it was written seven years ago, it would appear the case Eid was trying to make is now quite self-evident, especially in Nigeria, where, increasingly, propaganda videos and statements by terror groups, as well as features on terror leaders, are finding their way into mainstream media. We can now easily identify, for example, the faces of the major kingpins responsible for the widespread kidnappings and killings that are occurring on a daily basis in the Northern part of Nigeria, no thanks to having their pictures and videos splashed all over the pages of newspapers and on our television screens, almost as if they are Nollywood A-listers.
None of this has ‘helped’ our inept government, led by President Muhamadu Buhari, to find and arrest these blood-thirsty criminals. The ‘pressure’ has also not stopped the administration from playing ostrich and finding an effective way of tackling insecurity. These are some of the public interest arguments put forward by those defending the featuring of predatory criminals on national and now international media platforms.
The arguments also include an assertion that hearing from terrorists helps us understand the conflicts better and therefore come up with solutions. Under the guise of public interest, this is the argument that BBC Africa Eye seems to be presenting, to justify its decision to actively give copious screen time to self-confessed murderers and kidnappers, who are still actively involved in attacking communities, killing, kidnapping, pillaging and generally making life brutish and a living hell for the people of Nigeria’s North-western state of Zamfara and beyond.
The two promotional clips released for the documentary, the “Bandits Warlords of Zamfara”, feature a marauder who should remain nameless here, confirming that he was part of those who raided Jengebe girls’ secondary school in the state, abducting over 300 students, with the attendant horror these sorts of crime normally entail, and releasing them, after the payment of ransom. Evidently, the BBC Africa Eye team also had no problem utilising footage that appears to have been shot by these self-confessed criminals, because this makes it into the second trailer. No media of repute would take this decision because it is generally understood that these sorts of videos are recorded by terrorists for one thing only: propaganda.
Reports of the documentary in national newspapers also quote one of the featured criminals boasting, in the documentary, that he only kills, and doesn’t kidnap for ransom. This is the nature of the programme that the ‘reputable’ BBC Africa Eye is positioning as having a public interest imperative.
To be clear, the current state of insecurity and all that it entails is the fault of the Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, and he must be held responsible for the carnage and state of anarchy engulfing the nation. That does not however mean irresponsible reporting by the media, which after all should champion the common man, should not be challenged.
If terrorists were killing and kidnapping British citizens, especially young children, the BBC would not enable interviews by the perpetrators, particularly if they were still roaming footloose and fancy-free, without an iota of remorse for their crimes. The trauma to the psyche of the British public will be unbearable, and the BBC would not be willing to pay that price, or risk the legal consequences sure to ensue.
In the era of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), for example, the group didn’t make it onto the airwaves of the BBC. Indeed, reporting of the activities of the political party seen as the political arm of the IRA, Sein Fein, was heavily censored. Every time they spoke, the BBC deleted their voices and replaced them with those of actors, in obedience to British Government directives, which were put in place because the authorities believed publicity is like air for ‘terrorists’ groups, helping them to grow and thrive. And even though Sein Fein shared what many might argue is only an ideological position with the IRA, they were denied a presence on British airwaves in substantial ways.
The public’s right to know is a sacrosanct tenant of journalists who are not and should not be in the job of censoring news. Finding the balance between that and ensuring media platforms do not provide the oxygen of publicity for terrorists and criminals is not easy, but it is at these difficult junctures that good journalism needs to stand its ground.
Here in Nigeria, concerns about the impact that the amplification of the voices of terrorists will have on victims, their families and the public, appear to be a secondary consideration to the BBC’s insistence on hearing from the bandits’ first-hand accounts and justification for their murderous activities.
There is no good argument that can justify the damage this is doing to the public that includes the school girls in Jangebe, who can now, in perpetuity, watch the story of their abductions from the mouth of their abductors and relive the attendant trauma of that horrible crime.
For all of these school girls, victims and their families, the BBC Africa Eye has confirmed their attackers’ invincibility. By documenting and handing over on a platter of gold, one of the most respected media brands in the world to justify their actions, the BBC has iconised violent men leading marauding militias that are killing, abducting, maiming and leaving terror in their wake across large sways of Nigeria and who are clearly neither sorry for their crime nor looking to stop anytime soon.
It is hard to see how this will not contribute to deepening fear, mistrust, hopelessness and damage to the national psyche, while undoubtedly helping with recruitment – all ingredients that actively contribute to successful outcomes for terror groups.
The public’s right to know is a sacrosanct tenant of journalists who are not and should not be in the job of censoring news. Finding the balance between that and ensuring media platforms do not provide the oxygen of publicity for terrorists and criminals is not easy, but it is at these difficult junctures that good journalism needs to stand its ground.
Recognising the importance of getting it right globally, experts, including those at the BBC, have taken the trouble to develop guidelines for reporting difficult stories, including stories of conflict and terrorism. The German Press Code, for example, says that, “in reporting actual and threatened acts of violence, the Press should carefully weigh the public’s interest in information against the interest of victims and other people involved. It should report on such incidents in an independent and authentic way, but not allow itself to be made the tool of criminals. Nor should it undertake independent attempts to mediate between criminals and the police. THERE MUST BE NO INTERVIEWS WITH PERPETRATORS DURING ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”
The German guidelines are unequivocal about not giving airtime to criminals involved in ongoing criminal activities and for very good reason. The BBC’s editorial guidelines are more watery, perhaps explaining why the BBC Africa Eye team is able to be cavalier about such a critical issue. But even these guidelines say, “any proposal to approach an organisation (or an individual member of an organisation) designated a ‘terrorist group’ by the Home Secretary under the Terrorism Acts, and any proposal to approach individuals or organisations responsible for acts of terror, to participate in our output must be referred in advance to Director Editorial Policy and Standard and also any proposal to broadcast content made by perpetrators of a hijacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking or siege must be referred to a senior editorial figure.” The questions to answer therefore include: Did senior people in London at the BBC fully understand that they were authorising the recording of terrorists who are still active and who between them have been responsible for the abduction, rape and killings of thousands of people including school children?
There are other questions.
When homeland terrorists committed the inconceivable crime of hacking British soldier Lee Rigby to death in May 2013, would the BBC have considered it in the public interest to interview these terrorists? To compare apples with apples, imagine that hero Rigby’s murderers were never held for their crimes, continued butchering people and collecting seven figure ransoms, would the BBC dare to send reporters to film the murderers gloating about collecting ransom, and then hold Twitter Spaces and bask in views, clicks and likes?
The answer is NO. The BBC would never dare this.
Why then is the BBC okay to fund, then publicise the glorification of practicing murderers still butchering hundreds across Nigeria and the Chad Basin? How did this three-year disregard for African lives come about, and why is this acceptable?
Given the programme’s track record of dubious editorial decisions and accusations of unethical behaviour, including by local reporters who worked with them, BBC managers in London should also explain if the decision to put this documentary out on social media was designed to ensure its producers are not held to the high global broadcast standards the BBC is known for and which are applicable to content broadcast within the UK?
By their own admission, the BBC Africa Eye producers claim their reporting occurred over three-years. This is clearly well before the crime against the school girls in Jangebe occurred. These bandits and their factions commit cross-border crimes. Therefore, as a matter of urgent national and regional security, other questions which the BBC must answer publicly, in the actual interest of the public include:
1. In all these years it was conducting these ‘investigations’ of terrorists, did the BBC harbour information on potential criminals or actual crimes they happened on? Did the BBC withhold this information from the relevant African security authorities?
2. After the particular interviews in which the murderers admit their collection of ransoms, and committing acts of kidnap, did the BBC hand over any of this footage to the authorities, and do so in a timely manner?
3. What footage and information has the BBC handed over to law enforcement, since the publication of this documentary?
In covering a subset of criminals for three years, the BBC has brazenly admitted that it was shooting criminals before, during and after the commission of dastardly crimes that have destroyed generations, present and unborn.
The BBC Africa Eye documentaries series have been designed specifically for release on social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube). Given the programme’s track record of dubious editorial decisions and accusations of unethical behaviour, including by local reporters who worked with them, BBC managers in London should also explain if the decision to put this documentary out on social media was designed to ensure its producers are not held to the high global broadcast standards the BBC is known for and which are applicable to content broadcast within the UK?
When BBC Africa Eye did a story on drug addiction in Nigeria, there were attempts by a producer to sensationalise some of the reporting, to make it more gripping. On that occasion, he was working with a seasoned and brave journalist who pushed back. When they did a story on Sex for Grades, the two reporters responsible for the story ended up trading blame on social media over sex-for-by-line allegations. Again, the producers didn’t come out smelling of roses. An investigative report by them on a popular talk show host in Nigeria, who is revered by millions, saw the journalist who did that reporting flee his home together with his family as a result of threats to his life. The BBC failed in its duty of care to this local journalist and in the end fellow journalists had to rally around to provide him with safe spaces.
In all, the team at BBC Africa Eye appear to be striving to do reporting that would be unacceptable in the UK for being unethical and transparently against public interest. The problem is they have capitalised on the justified anger of the people and the inconceivable failure of the government to, once again, resurrect the ugliest vestiges of colonialism, which one had hoped were long buried.
The unfolding anarchy and violence in Nigeria are serious matters, and every attempt must be made to keep the public informed. A documentary that investigates and examines government failures, while centring on victims and their families would have done that. Giving boastful, bloodthirsty criminals a global platform serves only two purposes. It provides free publicity for terror and enables the BBC to push viewership figures on social media.
It does nothing for public service. Even if it does not realise it, the BBC’s reputation for stellar public service journalism is being damaged.
Black lives, their humanity and national security, should matter more than clicks.
Hopefully someone in London will take note.
Kadaria Ahmed was a Senior Producer at the BBC in London and is now CEO at Radio Now 95.3FM Lagos.
Nonsense. There is nothing unethical about the report. Nobody who is not already a bandit or their supporter will watch the interview and then decide to go join them.
The interview did not glorify banditry, in fact, bandits were portrayed as bloodthirsty barbarians who justifies their atrocities with illogical entitlement mentality.
BBC have interviewed terrorists such as Alqaeda and Taliban leaders over the years. The bandits are not special.
The question Nigerians should be asking is why the government which definitely knows where the terrorists are camping have refused to engage them?
If Buhari has acted years ago, BBC will have nothing to report.
Kadaria Ahmed is angry that the BBC outed the bandits. She has always been against exposing the identities of the marauding bandit because she is supposedly against "ethnic profiling".
Buhari and Lai wants to sanction BBC and daily Trust.
A Country of DEBUNK and cover up
Watch the video the state government denied paying Ransom and the bandits said the government payed 60million cash .
Girls were kidnaped , realased and used as photo shoot for politicians. When the citizens cried the Army shot and killed a Boy a brother of one of the girls kidnaped.
Now tell me is Nigeria not a zoo for real ?
All media in Nigeria hid it since then until BBC exposed it .
She is a Buhari/APC apologist with speciality in asslicking.
It is indeed a curious thing, is it not, that the likes of governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Kadaria Ahmed appear to have expressed more outrage against the THE BANDIT WARLORDS OF ZAMFARA - BBC Africa Eye documentary than they have against the government that knows the location of the bandits but for reasons not unconnected with mawkish ethnic sentimentality, has refused to bring their festival of terr0r to an end??
In a long prose authored by Ms.Kadaria which was shared by El-Rufai, the journalist argued that by interviewing the bandits, the BBC has helped in propagating their acts of terr0r.
N0nsense!!!
What the BBC News Africa has done is put a name, a face as well as location to the soulless terr0rists responsible for series of k!lling, rape, abduction and ethnic cleansing in Zamfara and neighboring states. All over the world, journalists and media houses speak to terr0rists. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
But just for the sake of argument, let's PRETEND to agree the BBC erred by talking to the bandits in their camp, the question should be, between a criminally irresponsible govt that has not only REFUSED to protect innocent citizens but has continued to empower terr0rists and terr0rism through payments of ransom and other dark means AND a foreign media organization that spent time and resources to shed light on the bandits and their modus operandi, WHICH SHOULD ATTRACT MORE OUTRAGE?
Where were Kadaria Ahmed and El-Rufai when sheiki Abubakar Gumi, the self-styled bandit spokesman was going from one television station to another laundering the image of these bandits and publicly insulting journalists for calling them cr,minals and terr0rists.
Now that the BBC has proven that indeed, these terr0rists and their camps are not hidden, what is stopping the state instruments of coercion (security agencies) under the so called commander-in-chief from moving in and taking out these barbar!ans? Why exactly are the duo of Ms. Ahmed and governor El-Rufai bent on diverting our attention from obvious FAILURE OF STATECRAFT under President Muhammadu Buhari ?
Do these aforementioned individuals now want Nigerians to believe that the BBC speaking to the bandits is suddenly the reason why the govt would know the bandits location, listen in on their conversation as confirmed by no other person than El-Rufai himself and even get regular Intel on planned bandit attacks but still sit back and allow those agents of terr0r carry out the attacks and ride safely back to their camps ON A LONG MOTORCYCLE CONVOY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. According to the deputy speaker of the federal House of Representatives, honorable Idris Wase, 44 intelligence reports were issued by the DSS before Kuje prison was attacked but no action was taken. In other words, the President majored in alternative fact when he blamed Kuje attack on failure of intelligence.
How many essays has Kadaria Ahmed written on this obvious and manifest failure on the part of govt which has left the entire country at the mercy of these terr0rists who now go about taking the battle to the presidential guards while threatening to abduct the president himself?
As I type, virtually all the schools in Abuja - Nigeria Seat Of Power - are closed due to fear of attacks. Residents of the FCT now live in fear. Should this not be of more concern to a journalist like Kadaria Ahmed?
Kadaria should go and sleep on the lots assigned to her in Kaduna.
She is one of those that caused the trouble in Nigeria. Her presidential interview was lopsided. At a time when Nigerians needed to know the capacity of the candidates and make a choice.
She is no more a little pissed?
The government that refused to act against terrorists is not propagating terrorism but the press reporting it is?
Bandits that claimed capital crime on TV instead of Kadaria to call for their arrests and prosecution, she is crying that they are being exposed.
BBC can track and find bandits who are even relaxed in their huts, but the DSS is busy tracking and finding protesters.
Nigerian authorities are a funny lot. Ignoring the message and fighting the messenger.
Instead of being grateful that the criminals they made us to believe are invincible have been unmasked, and go after them, they are looking for scapegoats. They are actually happy with the insecurities in the land as it's enriching their pockets
Why condemning BBC,let's call a spade a spade,this APC government really performed badly on all sectors,PMB should ve know better as an ex military officer,at least cos he know nothing about other sectors of governance.Why been in government in the first place when you don't understand anything
this country cherishes progress, there must be a holistic effort to enthrone justice, equity, fair play; and we must sincerely uphold the truth - very sacrosanct.
When BBC said what you guys liked about IPOB you guys were so happy to the extent that naira gained value passed the dollar, but now you all are against BBC for saying what you don’t like about insecurity??
Insecurity you monsters up north nurtured and preserved... this Movie is interesting
Nigeria can no longer protects citizens in some areas from warlords. Even In good times the government and administrators did not offer them development.
After government has failed,Kadaria Is now talking of ethics
U can only deceive those foolish people like tilinbu urchins because I know better
The stark truth is that islam is a terrorist and blood sucking religion
Islam strive on peoples gullibility
No matter your level of education and exposure, one's u come in contact with it, u start behaving like a terrorist, in short, u automatically become a terrorist unknownly
I know this because I was born and brought up in the core north
