The Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Usaini Gumel on Wednesday, held an interactive meeting with executives of broadcast media and online publishers in the state.
The move was as political campaigns for the 2023 general elections began.
The CP highlighted the Command’s determination to ensure absolute control of critical issues that were likely to trigger electoral violence, including hate speech and fake news; and the need to partner with all media executives in the state.
Gumel drew the media executives’ attention to their role in providing peaceful, credible and hitch-free election by ensuring they disallowed the use of your various media in promoting hate speech and fake news.
Describing these as major the root causes of electoral violence, the CP said aside from social media, the mainstream media was a potential avenue for some politicians to explore and cause havoc to peaceful electioneering.
Gumel said that the Command had already warned all political gladiators, during its colloquium with critical stakeholders in the state, to abide by the electoral laws in the aspect of dishing out hate speeches and other related offences bordering on campaigns and elections.
According to him, the Command had developed messages aimed at sensitizing the public on the dangers of hate speech and carrying arms during campaign, in conjunction with the Zonal Directorate of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Gumel sought the cooperation of the media organisations in airing the messages as a way of social corporate responsibility.
The media executives commended the Command for the initiative and also gave suggestions on how best to achieve the objective.
They equally pledged their unalloyed commitment and as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to be airing those jingles as issues of national interest is key to the development of our dear nation.
In the spirit of security collaboration, the Director of State Security Service (SSS), Yahaya Hassa who was in attendance at the meeting, emphasized that the media have a critical role to play and encouraged the media organisations to always verify fake news.
Media organisations that attended the meeting included ASHENEWS, Garkuwa FM, Vision FM, Caliphate FM, NTA, and Royal FM.
