Citizen Journalism: Police, NUJ FCT urge responsible security reporting ahead of 2027 elections

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called on journalists to prioritise verification and restraint in security reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying responsible journalism can save lives while misinformation can inflame tensions.

Disu made the call on Wednesday at a one-day capacity-building workshop on “Responsible Security Reporting Ahead of the 2027 Elections,” organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council.

Represented by the Director in charge of the National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Akaninyene Ezimma, the IGP said election security is a shared responsibility between law enforcement and the media.

“The media has the power to shape how Nigerians understand what is happening around them. That power must be exercised with responsibility,” he said.

He warned about the speed at which false information now spreads, noting that photographs, old videos, fabricated statements and AI-generated content can quickly create fear and confrontation.

He urged journalists to “Stop! Check! Confirm! Report!” and resist the pressure to be first at the expense of being right.

In his speech the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, represented by DCP Ibrahim Jibrin, echoed the call for verification, adding that the police would remain accessible and responsive to legitimate media inquiries while protecting operational integrity.

“Responsible security reporting can calm tension, promote public understanding and support security operations; inaccurate, unverified or sensational reporting, on the other hand, can unintentionally create fear, panic and distrust,” he said.

In her welcome address, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, described the workshop theme, “Responsible Security Reporting in the Age of Citizen Journalism: Protecting Nigeria’s Stability Ahead of the 2027 Elections,” as a call to balance public information with the duty to avoid harm.

She said the objectives of the training were to strengthen the capacity of security correspondents to verify and contextualise information, apply ethical and legal standards under pressure, and collaborate constructively with security agencies without compromising independence or the public interest.

Ike also listed key priorities for participants, including verification techniques for eyewitness material, contextual reporting, source protection, principled collaboration with security agencies, ethical restraint and digital literacy to identify deepfakes and manipulated media.

“As the NUJ FCT Council, we pledge our support to journalists undertaking this demanding beat,” she said. “We will continue to advocate for professional safety, access to training, legal protections and mental-health support for reporters exposed to traumatic scenes.”

“We also call on security agencies to engage transparently with the media and to respect press freedom while working to preserve public safety.”
Retired Commissioner of Police Lawrence Alobi, in a goodwill message, called for expanded digital-literacy campaigns, stronger fact-checking, transparent communication and ethical guidelines for citizen journalists covering sensitive security matters.

Resource persons, including former NUJ Chairman Abduljelil Adebayo and Deputy Director of CJID, Busola Ajibola, among others stressed the need to distinguish clearly between unofficial claims and official results, label unverified material, avoid sensational headlines that could inflame ethnic or religious tensions, and protect vulnerable sources.

They urged newsrooms to invest in verification workflows, fact-checking resources and mental-health support for reporters covering traumatic events.

The workshop, organisers said, was designed to strengthen ties between security agencies and the press, so journalists know where to obtain authoritative information while the police build trust through transparency.

They added that the training would help ensure that reporting contributes to peaceful democratic participation, rather than undermining it, as Nigeria heads into the 2027 polls.