Army, NUJ move to deepen cooperation in Sokoto

The General Officer Commanding, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Bemgha Koughna, has pledged stronger collaboration with journalists in Sokoto State as part of efforts to enhance security and promote public trust. The GOC gave the assurance in Sokoto on Thursday while receiving executive members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Sokoto State Council, who paid him a courtesy visit to the Division’s headquarters. Major General Koughna emphasised the critical role of the media in shaping public understanding of security operations, stressing that timely and accurate information dissemination is vital in countering misinformation and sustaining peace. He said, “I am sorry for hosting you a bit late since my assumption of office here; it is due to the exigencies of work. “I want to assure you that this Division, under my watch, is ready to have strong collaboration with journalists, especially the Correspondents’ Chapel.” He assured the chapel of the Division’s commitment to maintaining open lines of communication and fostering a professional working relationship with journalists in the state. Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Ankeli Emmanuel, congratulated the GOC on his appointment and assured him of the chapel’s readiness to work closely with the Division to achieve a safer society. Emmanuel called for the prompt dissemination of information to journalists to enable balanced and factual reporting of military activities. He also urged the Division to consistently extend invitations to the chapel for official programmes to ensure proper and comprehensive media coverage. The visit underscores renewed efforts to strengthen civil-military relations and deepen cooperation between the Army and the media in Sokoto State.