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JOURNALISTIC CHALLENGES IN REPORTING INSECURITY: EXPERIENCES OF REPORTERS IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Abstract
The Boko Haram insurgency, which originated in Maiduguri, Borno State, and escalated from 2009, has made northeastern Nigeria a highly dangerous setting for journalism. Reporters in Maiduguri, who provide essential on-the-ground coverage of violence, displacement, counter-insurgency operations, and humanitarian impacts, confront severe multifaceted challenges. Scholarly research documents direct physical threats from insurgents (including targeted killings and intimidation), harassment and restrictions by state security forces, psychological trauma from exposure to atrocities, restricted access to conflict areas, safety training deficiencies, and institutional gaps in protection and support. These conditions frequently result in self-censorship, altered news framing, relocation of journalists, and diminished reporting quality, contributing to information gaps that affect public understanding and accountability. This chapter establishes the study’s background, problem statement, objectives, aligned research questions, significance, scope, and limitations, drawing exclusively on peer-reviewed academic studies, doctoral dissertations, and scholarly publications (primarily 2019–2025) that analyze journalists’ risks and experiences in covering the Boko Haram conflict in Borno State and the northeast.
1.1 Background to the Study
The northeastern region of Nigeria, particularly Borno State, has been significantly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency since the group’s emergence in the early 2000s under the leadership of Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri. The conflict escalated in 2009 following violent clashes with security forces and Yusuf’s extrajudicial killing, resulting in a sustained campaign targeting Western education, government institutions, and civilians perceived as collaborators. Over the past 15 years, the insurgency, now comprising factions such as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has caused over 30,000 fatalities, displaced millions, and devastated communities across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. Maiduguri, once a thriving commercial and cultural center, has transformed into a fortified city hosting hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps while enduring sporadic attacks, suicide bombings, and rural ambushes, despite military territorial gains in the mid-2010s.
Within this unstable environment, journalists in Maiduguri have played a critical role in documenting the humanitarian and societal consequences of the crisis. Unlike international correspondents who typically engage in short-term assignments, local reporters, embedded in communities and dependent on local intelligence while navigating frequent security checkpoints, provide continuous, contextually informed coverage. Their responsibilities extend beyond reporting to include witnessing mass atrocities, convoy ambushes, and the resilience of IDP camp survivors. However, their proximity to the conflict exposes them to significant risks.
The Boko Haram insurgency, formally known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, along with its splinter group ISWAP, originated in Maiduguri under Mohammed Yusuf and intensified after his 2009 killing. This escalation led to widespread violence, abductions, and territorial seizures in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, displacing millions, causing tens of thousands of deaths, and creating persistent humanitarian crises. Maiduguri remains both a displacement hub and a recurrent site of violence.
Journalists in Maiduguri serve a crucial function in chronicling these events, offering localized perspectives on insurgent strategies, military operations, and civilian impacts. Academic research highlights substantial challenges faced by these reporters. Studies on journalists covering Boko Haram in the northeast identify direct threats from insurgents who perceive media as government proxies, leading to assassinations, including historical cases such as Zakariya Isa and Enenche Akogwu, and ongoing intimidation through threats and coerced narratives (Onyejelem et al., 2024). Self-censorship has become a survival tactic, with reporters modifying content such as avoiding direct attribution of attacks to Boko Haram or mitigating blame framing to minimize retaliation (Mustapha-Koiki, 2019).
Psychological and institutional vulnerabilities further exacerbate these risks. Frontline journalists report untreated trauma from exposure to atrocities, compounded by inadequate access to protective training, equipment, or mental health resources (Abdulkadir, n.d.; Onyejelem et al., 2024). State-imposed restrictions, arrests, and raids on media outlets perceived as critical of counterinsurgency efforts add to these challenges. Scholarly analyses emphasize how these factors distort public discourse, create information gaps, and weaken accountability mechanisms in one of Africa’s most protracted insurgencies (Oladeru et al., 2021, as cited in related conflict media studies).
Academic literature extensively documents Nigeria’s press freedom constraints, particularly in conflict zones, with northeastern journalists facing disproportionate risks due to their proximity to violence and reliance on local networks.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Scholarly evidence indicates that journalists in Maiduguri face escalating threats that compromise their physical and psychological safety while reporting on Boko Haram insecurity. Insurgents impose direct risks through violence and intimidation, perceiving coverage as hostile, while security forces restrict access and harass reporters over perceived sensitive disclosures (Onyejelem et al., 2024; Abdulkadir, n.d.). Compounding these are deficiencies in safety training, equipment, and institutional backing, fostering widespread self-censorship and content alteration that obscure insurgent actions, military conduct, or humanitarian realities (Mustapha-Koiki, 2019). As experienced local journalists dwindle due to relocation or withdrawal, these dynamics create reporting voids, perpetuate impunity, hinder accountability, and distort public discourse on one of Africa’s most enduring insurgencies.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective is to examine the journalistic challenges in reporting insecurity based on the lived experiences of reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The specific objectives are:
- To identify the primary physical and psychological threats faced by journalists covering the Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri.
- To analyze the impact of restrictions imposed by state (government/military) and non-state (insurgent) actors on independent and accurate reporting.
- To assess the institutional and professional support deficiencies heighten journalists’ vulnerabilities.
- To explore how these multifaceted challenges influence the quality of reporting content, patterns of self-censorship, and broader public discourse on insecurity.
1.4 Research Questions
The research questions align directly with the specific objectives:
- What are the primary physical and psychological threats encountered by journalists in Maiduguri while covering the Boko Haram insurgency?
- How do restrictions imposed by state (government and military) and non-state (insurgent) actors affect the ability of journalists to conduct independent and accurate reporting on insecurity?
- In what ways do institutional and professional support deficiencies exacerbate the vulnerabilities of reporters in Maiduguri?
- To what extent do these challenges shape the quality of journalistic content, contribute to self-censorship, and influence public discourse surrounding the conflict in Borno State?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study synthesizes scholarly insights to advance understanding of journalist safety in insurgent contexts, informing academic discourse on media in conflict zones and privileging northeastern Nigerian perspectives. It provides evidence for advocacy by professional bodies, unions, and international organizations to develop targeted training, protective policies, and support mechanisms. By highlighting lived experiences and systemic gaps, the research contributes to efforts promoting ethical, resilient journalism essential for accountability, peacebuilding, and informed citizenship amid ongoing insecurity.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study is limited to scholarly analyses (peer-reviewed articles, dissertations, and academic publications) examining journalists’ experiences in Maiduguri and broader northeastern Nigeria, focusing on the post-2019 period to capture evolving insurgency dynamics and recent research emphases on safety, trauma, and reporting constraints.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The reliance on published scholarly sources may exclude unpublished or emerging fieldwork restricted by security concerns in Borno State. Potential biases in academic focus (e.g., emphasis on threats over adaptive strategies) are addressed through triangulation of multiple studies. The topic’s sensitivity limits direct primary access, but the emphasis on researcher analyses ensures credible, evidence-based insights.
References
Abdulkadir, I. (n.d.). An assessment of the safety routine measures adopted by journalists covering Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, Nigeria. Academians Publishers. https://academianspublishers.org/article/journalists-safety-measures-boko-haram-north-east-nigeria
Mustapha-Koiki, A. R. (2019). Journalism and risk: The impact of Boko Haram attacks on news content and journalists’ patterns of news gathering and reporting in Nigeria (2011-2012) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Canterbury]. https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstreams/248d8f75-ae79-45c0-ab5e-6fd4926859d7/download
Onyejelem, T. E., Aondover, E. M., et al. (2024). Challenges to journalists’ safety in covering Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, Nigeria. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal, 7(1). https://www.bircu-journal.com/index.php/birci/article/download/8053/pdf