The Nigerian Army yesterday solicited the support of social media towards its operations across the country, noting that despite having the upper hand in dealing with terrorists and insurgents, its efforts are always under-reported. “We have celebrated the place of making headlines that will scare people rather than headlines to celebrate the gallantry efforts of our troops thereby giving confidence to the insurgents,” Chief of Civil-Military Affairs Major-General Usman Shehu Mohammed stated at an interactive session with Social Media Bloggers and Online Journalists in Sokoto State.
“Modern wars are fought using the cyberspace and the social media acting as very dangerous weapons which have the capability of influencing and shaping the opinions of people thereby having a critical outcome in the battle being fought,” he said. He acknowledged the important roles of social media in the development of peace and security in the country, saying “It is very obvious that what you say, the way you say it and how its spreads have far-reaching implications than most of us are aware of because the social media has a very crucial role to play in support of the Nigerian Army’s non-kinetic line of operations.”
He said that in the area of community outreaches through Quick Impact Projects, the Nigerian Army in the last 5 years had carried out more than 100 Civil Military Related Projects aimed at bridging the gap with the civil populace and ensuring the Nigerian Army is seen in a positive light. Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal who was represented by his Special Adviser on special projects, Dahiru Yusuf Yabo lauded the Nigeria Army for organizing the program.