HURIWA Carpets Reuters over Propaganda Against Nigerian Military
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has carpeted foreign media stoking the embers of hatred to weaken the popularity of the Nigerian Army by painting the terrorists as victims rather than villains.
HURIWA carpeted Reuters; a foreign media outfit, which the group described as being on the vanguard of destroying the credibility of the Nigerian Army with unsubstantiated propaganda, enough to undermine national security.
Recalling how Reuters hurriedly sent out an unverified story accusing Russia of being responsible for the November 15th, 2022 missile incident in Poland, which nearly led NATO into a world war with Russia, The Group drew a comparison on how the Media were used in Rwanda to spread hatred, dehumanize people, and even guide the genocidaires toward their victims.
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“The tension between the two groups existed for decades, but what was a protracted social conflict morphed quickly into a genocide with significant assistance from the media.
“Three journalists have even been found guilty of genocide, incitement to genocide, conspiracy, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
“We must find a way to respond to such abuses of power without violating the principles of freedom, which are an indispensable cornerstone of democracy.
“Propaganda plays an active, supportive role in facilitating the atrocities, as well as an influential role in establishing the pre-conditions for mass killings.
“The lessons for international society are twofold. Whilst a free press is a sine qua none to hold those in power accountable and represents the very foundation free societies rest upon, it needs to be emphasized that freedom comes with responsibility.
“The abuse of the freedom of speech to create division through hate speech, and unsubstantiated accusations that in turn lead to large-scale violence is an indicator of an arising conflict”, HURIWA explained.
