The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has challenged Amnesty International on the utility of its reports from Nigeria which are neither accurate nor helpful to a country undergoing healing following the #EndSARS protests.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO faulted the recent Amnesty International reports on the Lekki Tollgate incident in particular and the #EndSARS protests in general, describing them as inaccurate and highly misleading.
“Reporting from a crisis requires a certain measure of responsibility. We stand by the Presidency’s robust rebuttal of Amnesty International’s serial falsehood on the Lekki Tollgate incident which, apart from lacking sequential credibility, is essentially sensational.
“It should be repeated here for the umpteenth time that the Lekki Tollgate incident did not precipitate the wanton violence and destruction of public properties witnessed nationwide. Hoodlums had forced jailbreaks in Benin and Oko, policemen had been attacked and police stations burnt or ransacked even before the Lekki incident.
“More worrisome is that Amnesty International’s falsehood on the Lekki incident follows a familiar pattern of misinformation and deliberate misrepresentation of Nigeria’s domestic situation. Previous Nigeria Country reports have often failed simple credibility tests. It is indeed a sad commentary on AI’s reputation that neither regard for the sanctity of facts nor discretion seems to temper the Agency’s Nigeria interventions, which appear to be underlined by a pre-determined subversive agenda.
“It is not a sign of weakness for Amnesty International to turn a new leaf by publishing only verified and truthful reports about Nigeria. Alternatively, Amnesty International should remain silent until it is in possession of validated and credible information from which it can draw its conclusions.
“The Lagos State Government has established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Lekki incident. Rather than rush to give conflicting and confusing reports about the incident, Amnesty International should forward whatever information it claims to have to the honourable panel which has the capability and authority to issue a report. This is what obtains in other countries where AI operates. Why should Nigeria be treated differently?”
The BMO advised Amnesty International to take more responsibility while reporting on crises in a sensitive country like Nigeria because a false report, such as it has been dishing out on the #EndSARS protests, can only worsen tensions.
As the country gradually returns to normalcy, the BMO urged Nigerian youths to disregard provocative and inaccurate reports from local and international organizations designed to turn them against their country or one another but to take advantage of the numerous youth empowerment schemes by the Buhari Administration to better their lives and disprove foreign and domestic doomsayers predicting Nigeria’s disintegration.
