By: Quadri Yahya
The state of insecurity in Nigeria between 2024 is glaringly different from the situation in 2026. Nigeria ranked fourth in the Global Terrorism Index 2026. Nigeria moved up two places in the ranking, from sixth in 2024 to fourth in 2025.
While insecurity challenges continue to hammer the country, misinformation is also causing damage. Misleading information and narratives about insecurity continue to have grave consequences on three main fronts.
1# Security Operations
Security operations are planned and executed in secrecy. But the aftermath of some of these operations are made known to the public to reassure them that the security apparatus of the state is working tirelessly to contain and eliminate actors that pose a threat to national security. One of the ways to facilitate public relations between security agencies and the public is to ensure accurate dissemination of information. But when misinformation infiltrates this communication channel, it becomes problematic.
On different occasions, security chiefs have raised the alarm that fake news poses a threat to their efforts in fighting insecurity. With terrorists to combat on the one hand, misinformation undermines troops and also hinders operational success.
The Nigerian army had at one time uncovered social media accounts posing as the Chief of Army Staff. The accounts were linked to an increase in fraudulent activities. When social media accounts are operating fraudulent schemes under the profile of a military officer, it directly contradicts news such as soldiers rejecting N13 million bribe from terrorists. The activities of such fake accounts are also likely to weaken the efforts of the Nigerian security agencies to curb corruption among their personnel.
The use of old pictures has also enabled the spread of misinformation. The security analysis outlet Zagazola Makama recently found that old pictures were used to portray recent military airstrikes. Zagazola Makama reported that the images circulating in the media are from 2014, 2017, and 2018. The old images were used to misrepresent military airstrikes of April 11, 2026 in Jilli, Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. This is one example of how misinformation can mislead about military operations.
2# Public Trust
Misinformation will inevitably undermine public trust in security efforts and in security personnel. Cynical comments often overwhelm the comment sections of news about successful military operations. News of soldiers neutralising 50 terrorists is a tip of the iceberg; but social media reactions often suggest another angle: that the Nigerian army is only resharing old pictures and claims. The sentimental remarks are provoked by the unceasing havoc terrorists continue to wreak across villages in many states. People who have lost loved ones to bandits and terrorists are unmoved by military efforts that led to the killing of hundreds of these violent actors. However, when social media users push the narrative that the Nigerian army is deliberately sharing old pictures, victims of insecurity may be triggered, reinforcing the belief that failure of the Nigerian government to nip insecurity in the bud is deliberate.
Beyond social media, the situation creates a loophole that bad actors can exploit. In other words, bad actors may exploit citizen distrust in security agencies. When online narratives portray the Nigerian soldiers as untrustworthy, citizens may be encouraged to collude with bad actors; the latter may exploit this military-citizen distrust to coordinate and execute attacks on military bases.
3# Foreign Support
The decade-long battle against insecurity in Nigeria has drawn global attention. While Nigerian government continues to seek security partnership to bolster its efforts to combat terrorism, the recent controversial claim of genocide in the country which has been peddled alongside other misleading narratives can undermine partnership efforts that could yield better outcome.
In the past, the unfortunate accidental airstrikes on civilian targets have indirectly implicated foreign partners. With many foreign voices pushing the genocide claim, social media platforms have been robust channels to promote falsehood using old pictures, misleading statistics and videos. The Zagazola Makama check highlights the need for media outlets to use relevant pictures in order not to further fracture military-citizen relationship, on the one hand, and Nigeria and partners relationship on the other hand.
Security experts have also said that misinformation plays a significant influence in the recent designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by the United States. This highlights how online narrative can shape foreign policy.
Conclusion
While insecurity continues to claim the lives of millions of Nigerians, the least expected of social media users is spreading misinformation that could undermine security efforts. Fake news affects not just victims of insecurity but also the soldiers fighting terrorists. Where sources of information are unknown, such information should be disregarded. Circulating such information only exposes more people to harmful contents. As misinformation can be weaponised, media outlets and social media users should also arm and protect themselves with fact-checking skills.
