Insecurity: Impose Stricter Sanctions Against Fake News, Deploy Modern Tech, IMPI Tells Tinubu
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Innocent Oweh
The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has raised concerns over what it described as deliberate mischief and utter recklessness that permeate virtually all social media platforms.
It said it has almost become a norm by some unpatriotic Nigerians to publish and share fake news on social media spaces without remorse for their actions.
The group therefore urged the President, Bola Tinubu to declare a fresh national emergency on security, arguing that such measures will enable the government take a deeper look at the current situation and restrategise.
In a policy statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Omoniyi Akinsiju, in Abuja on Thursday, the group noted that the emergency declaration should contain specific provisions targeted at people deliberately using fake news to create tension in the polity.
According to the Group, the spate of fake news and false alarms in recent times are capable of distracting security operatives, but such emergency declaration may be an additional strategies to wage a successful war against terrorism.
“To protect the larger society from these social media delinquents, we demand that President Tinubu declare a security emergency, all over again, with specific provisions to contain the excesses of irresponsible social media publishers, content creators, and bloggers, and to hold them accountable for the news they publish and share.
“We also demand an emergency-enabled law that restrains the reporting of terrorism cases at the risk of summary prison terms.”
Akinsiju acknowledged current efforts to curb insecurity but urged the Tinubu administration to continue to invest in more sophisticated military platforms aside from addressing social economic factors in remote areas.
“While acknowledging ongoing efforts, it is our submission that, given the asymmetric warfare the Nigerian military and police force are contending with, more still needs to be done. This is, especially, in the face of the growing monstrosity of terrorism and other forms of criminality that threaten the very foundation of the country.
“We believe that the fighting troops should continuously be empowered with modern technology that enables a combination of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies, electronic warfare (EW) systems, protected mobility, and advanced command-and-control software.
“Platforms like the Chinese CH-4 and Wing Loong II UAVs enable day-and-night tracking of insurgent movements and encampments across vast, forested terrain. Real-time satellite mapping and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) identify heavily concealed hideouts in forests and other remote areas.
“Infantry troops should be equipped with advanced thermal scopes to detect and neutralise militants operating under the cover of darkness. At the same time, vehicle-mounted and portable jammers should be acquired to break insurgent communication lines and prevent the remote detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
“Other technology interventions required include systems used to intercept, locate, and track enemy coordination, allowing the military to pre-empt attacks and ambushes, integration with multi-domain software such as the AI-powered NiDAR platform that aggregate live feeds from legacy radars, thermal cameras, and drones into a unified interface, pivoted on intelligence software such as Maltego to mine metadata, detect insurgent recruitment on the dark web, and combat extremist online propaganda, among others.
“Beyond this, the Nigerian military still needs to be more operationally diversified, with the creation of new fighting units and the strengthening of existing ones to fight armed gangs.
“It should be noted, however, that weapons and boots alone cannot eradicate insecurity. Success heavily depends on addressing socio-economic factors, improving intelligence gathering, and strengthening the Nigeria Police Force’s capabilities to manage internal civil matters, Akinsiju advised.
