Re: Con Coughlin’s April 12 Telegraph report on Nigeria’s war
on terror
on terror
Our attention has been drawn to a piece published on April
12, 2016, in The Telegraph (London) paper, by one Con
Coughlin (identified as 'Defence Editor'), and titled, ‘Nigeria
using UK aid to persecute president's political foes rather to
fight Boko Haram.’
The piece is not only full of factual inaccuracies, it also
betrays a shocking ignorance of Nigeria and the country’s
ongoing war against terrorism.
betrays a shocking ignorance of Nigeria and the country’s
ongoing war against terrorism.
Mr Coughlin’s editorial tactic is to quote unnamed “senior
officials” and “Western diplomats” and “Western officials”
and “political opponents” making fact-free and unfounded
statements. It also appears that he sought out only those
opinions which suited and reinforced his disgracefully false
headline. Nowhere in the piece is there anything that
suggests he attempted to contact the Nigerian government
for its own side of the story.
officials” and “Western diplomats” and “Western officials”
and “political opponents” making fact-free and unfounded
statements. It also appears that he sought out only those
opinions which suited and reinforced his disgracefully false
headline. Nowhere in the piece is there anything that
suggests he attempted to contact the Nigerian government
for its own side of the story.
Coughlin writes that “American officials are also angry that
$2.1 billion of aid given to the Nigerian military to tackle
Boko Haram has not been properly accounted for.”
$2.1 billion of aid given to the Nigerian military to tackle
Boko Haram has not been properly accounted for.”
It does not occur to him that the $2.1 billion he refers to was
budgeted for and wholly spent by the government that
President Buhari and his party defeated in the March 2015
presidential elections, and that one of President Buhari’s
priorities has been investigating the misuse of those funds.
budgeted for and wholly spent by the government that
President Buhari and his party defeated in the March 2015
presidential elections, and that one of President Buhari’s
priorities has been investigating the misuse of those funds.
It also does not appear to occur to Mr. Coughlin that the
“political opponents” he is falsely accusing President Buhari
of “targeting” and "persecuting" are actually on trial on
account of how they spent the $2.1 billion in question. Mr.
Coughlin is equally unaware of the fact that the investigating
panel set up by Mr. Buhari to probe the $2.1 billion recently
published a preliminary report that confirmed that much of
that money was indeed looted or mis-spent by the accused
persons, and that the government has started to recover the
funds.
“political opponents” he is falsely accusing President Buhari
of “targeting” and "persecuting" are actually on trial on
account of how they spent the $2.1 billion in question. Mr.
Coughlin is equally unaware of the fact that the investigating
panel set up by Mr. Buhari to probe the $2.1 billion recently
published a preliminary report that confirmed that much of
that money was indeed looted or mis-spent by the accused
persons, and that the government has started to recover the
funds.
Coughlin accuses President Buhari's government of
attempting to cover-up the abductions of 400 women and
children "abducted last year by militants from the Nigerian
town of Damasak."
attempting to cover-up the abductions of 400 women and
children "abducted last year by militants from the Nigerian
town of Damasak."
This is absolutely untrue. The Damasak abductions he’s
referring to, which were recently widely reported, took
place, not “last year” as he says, but in late 2014, well before
Mr. Buhari was elected President of Nigeria. (And, by the
way, President Buhari came to power on May 29, 2015, not
July, as Coughlin reports).
referring to, which were recently widely reported, took
place, not “last year” as he says, but in late 2014, well before
Mr. Buhari was elected President of Nigeria. (And, by the
way, President Buhari came to power on May 29, 2015, not
July, as Coughlin reports).
A simple search by Mr. Coughlin of his paper’s archives
would have revealed these facts. A simple fact-check by his
copy-editors would have spared the Telegraph the
embarrassment of publishing this drivel.
would have revealed these facts. A simple fact-check by his
copy-editors would have spared the Telegraph the
embarrassment of publishing this drivel.
There are several other inaccuracies and baseless
statements in the piece, but Mr. Coughlin is too enamoured
of his anonymous sources to realise they might be
misleading him, or be as ignorant about the situation as he
is. The suggestion that Boko Haram is going "from strength
to strength" is an eminently laughable one; not even
Nigeria's opposition party would make such an absurd
claim.
Since President Buhari took office, schools in Borno State,
shut for more than one year under the previous
government, have reopened. The same applies to the
airport in Maiduguri, shut down in December 2013 after a
devastating Boko Haram attack on the nearby Air Force
Base.
statements in the piece, but Mr. Coughlin is too enamoured
of his anonymous sources to realise they might be
misleading him, or be as ignorant about the situation as he
is. The suggestion that Boko Haram is going "from strength
to strength" is an eminently laughable one; not even
Nigeria's opposition party would make such an absurd
claim.
Since President Buhari took office, schools in Borno State,
shut for more than one year under the previous
government, have reopened. The same applies to the
airport in Maiduguri, shut down in December 2013 after a
devastating Boko Haram attack on the nearby Air Force
Base.
Thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have now
started returning home. Last Sunday, El-Kanemi Warriors
Football Club played its first game in its home base of
Maiduguri in more than two seasons. Until now they had
been forced to play home games outside the region, on
account of security concerns. There are several more
examples of how the people of the region are finally getting
a chance to rebuild their lives, as the Nigerian Armed Forces
and a Multinational Joint Task Force continue their work of
routing the terrorists.
started returning home. Last Sunday, El-Kanemi Warriors
Football Club played its first game in its home base of
Maiduguri in more than two seasons. Until now they had
been forced to play home games outside the region, on
account of security concerns. There are several more
examples of how the people of the region are finally getting
a chance to rebuild their lives, as the Nigerian Armed Forces
and a Multinational Joint Task Force continue their work of
routing the terrorists.
Mr. Coughlin not only sounds like a spokesperson for the
very people whose corruption and mismanagement allowed
Boko Haram to bring Nigeria to its knees – and whose
disastrous legacy President Buhari has spent the last one
year redeeming Nigeria from – he is also guilty of failing to
observe the most basic rules of responsible journalism.
very people whose corruption and mismanagement allowed
Boko Haram to bring Nigeria to its knees – and whose
disastrous legacy President Buhari has spent the last one
year redeeming Nigeria from – he is also guilty of failing to
observe the most basic rules of responsible journalism.
Mr Coughlin needs a refresher course on responsible
journalism as much as he needs a crash course on Nigeria.
Until he submits himself to these, we’re afraid he will
continue to embarrass not only himself, but also the revered
British media institution that is the Telegraph.
journalism as much as he needs a crash course on Nigeria.
Until he submits himself to these, we’re afraid he will
continue to embarrass not only himself, but also the revered
British media institution that is the Telegraph.
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