“The advent of Social Media has rendered conventional Journalists to becomes lazy by avoiding war front coverage especially at trouble states of North East.
Sadiq Dalhat who was a former Special Assistant to the Director General, State Security Service (SSS), made this known at open guest lecture on the topic “Security Issues Around Social Media Usage in Journalism Related Sector” organized by Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
This has resulted to several human rights violation, intimidation, extra judicial killing, and violation of rule of engagement by the security agencies.
Social Media creates room for conventional Journalists to be copying and pasting news without verifying facts and figures and most of these news on social media are mostly fake news.
According to him “Fake news fabricated news with no basis and facts, it’s usually deceptive in nature with full of lies covered in order to manipulate the receiver. The message is either to create fear in the minds of the public, mass exodus or panic and this is a serious problem that is prostrating the operation of security in the country.
He however added that, when terrorists group like Boko Haram succeeded in creating and spreading fake news among community, it used to resulted in people vacating their environment with fear of attacks from the terrorists. And for a Security Agencies to counter the fake news, the govt must provide them with higher and sophisticated technological infrastructure.
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“As at now the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) possessed most of the modern security technological equipment that used to monitor the posts on Social Media which yield a fruitful result and led to the identification of Boko Haram social media and communication center at Gashuwa which was dismantle and destroyed by the security agencies.
That is why security operatives were putting more effort interest on social media and I want tell you that all the security agencies in Nigeria created Cyber Crimes and Social Security Depts in order to checkmate the activities of cyber crimes and other internet related offences.
Mr Sadiq said that the importance of social media in holding govt accountable for that of the security agencies can never be emphasized. Social Media become a career of immediacy and security agencies and govt at various level respond to issues and security challenges on social media with immediate effect e.g a Collation of Women at Kaduna pose a an empty threat that they will block Kaduna Abuja rail station and prevent any prominent personality from joining the train and force him to follow the public road same as every Nigerian and the govt responded with immediate effect. Such is the power of social media.
On his part, the Vice chancellor Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello who was represented by Director Academic Planing said, the open lecture series as hosted by the Faculty of Communication, is worthy of emulation by all faculties in the University. The faculty deserves commendation for not only organizing the lecture series but for sustaining it through the years. He pledged his continued support to the Faculty just as he observed that the students have an opportunity on a platter of Gold to listen to distinguished personalities from outside the University on topical issues in areas of Communication and Allied fields.
