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Police, NUJ Warn Against Inflammatory Security Reports Ahead 2027 Elections
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has called on defence and crime reporters to exercise restraint when reporting security-related issues ahead of the 2027 general election, saying responsible journalism could save lives while misinformation could inflame tensions.
Disu gave the caution while declaring open a one-day capacity-building workshop on 鈥淩esponsible Security Reporting Ahead of the 2027 Election鈥, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
Represented by the Director in charge of the National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Akaninyene Ezimma, the IGP said election security was a shared responsibility between law enforcement and the media.
鈥淭he media has the power to shape how Nigerians understand what is happening around them. That power must be exercised with responsibility,鈥 he said.
He frowned on the speed with which false information spreads, stressing that photographs, old videos, fabricated statements and AI-generated content could quickly create fear and confrontation.
He urged journalists to stop, check and confirm information before reporting, and to resist the pressure to be the first at the expense of being right.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, represented by DCP Ibrahim Jibrin, echoed the call for verification, adding that the police would remain accessible and responsive to legitimate media inquiries while protecting operational integrity.
鈥淩esponsible security reporting can calm tensions, promote public understanding and support security operations; inaccurate, unverified or sensational reporting, on the other hand, can unintentionally create fear, panic and distrust,鈥 he said.
In her welcome address, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, described the workshop theme, 鈥淩esponsible Security Reporting in the Age of Citizen Journalism: Protecting Nigeria鈥檚 Stability Ahead of the 2027 Elections鈥, as a call to balance the public鈥檚 right to information with the duty to avoid harm.
She said the objectives of the training were to strengthen the capacity of security correspondents to verify and contextualise information, apply ethical and legal standards under pressure, and collaborate constructively with security agencies without compromising their independence or the public interest.
