Media, Ethnic Hegemony and Conflict in Africa: The Northern-Southern Nigerian Media Reportage on Insurgency

It all started like a common arrest of a suspect, but later degenerate into a full-blown crisis, which had consequently claimed and still claiming lives and property in Nigerians; while large number of people is internally displaced. The insurgence activities of the Jama’atu Alu’s Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, popularly known as ‘Boko Haram’ began as a result of the death of their leader, Muhammad Yusuf in police custody. His disciples believed their leader was murdered unjustifiably. Hence, they changed the narrative of their operation and began threatening the peace and peaceful coexistence of the northern region and other three neighbouring countries. Two research questions and two hypotheses were generated and formulated for the study. The study adopted qualitative research method with content analysis on the three selected newspapers of Daily Trust in the northern part, while The Punch and The Nation in the southern part of the country. The study finds that the Nigerian media do engage in copying and editing reportage instead of independent and investigative media reportage. It also shows that there is no significant difference in the reportage of the Nigerian media based on region. The study recommends among others that the media reporters should engage, involve and practice investigative strategy through the adaptable techniques for effective and efficient reportage that will assist the government forces and the government in war against the insurgent groups. And the zone as well as the entire nation returns to the era of peaceful coexistence and agro-economic productivity development.