Radio Lafiya Dole: Tackling insurgency through broadcasting

Residents of Maiduguri metropolis and environs are civilians, but they differ from every other civilian population in this country.  They are militarised, not in regimental terms, but in terms of their security consciousness and attitude to security. The instrument of their security awareness is Radio Operation Lafiya Dole, the organ of psychological warfare and counterterrorism […]

Residents of Maiduguri metropolis and environs are civilians, but they differ from every other civilian population in this country.  They are militarised, not in regimental terms, but in terms of their security consciousness and attitude to security.

The instrument of their security awareness is Radio Operation Lafiya Dole, the organ of psychological warfare and counterterrorism established in 2014 by the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, charged with the operational responsibility of crushing Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

The 108 FM radio station, initially codenamed Zaman Lafiya FM to reflect the mission of the Operation Restore Peace, which transformed to Operation Lafiya Dole, was officially commissioned on March 29, 2017 by Lt. Gen Abdulelah Al-Saleh, the counterterrorism chief of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian army, in company of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai. But it has been broadcasting programmes since 2014 when the Division 7 headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri commenced using it as a medium for disseminating counter-insurgency information to residents of Maiduguri and its environs.

Zaman Lafiya FM commenced fulltime broadcasting on March 5, 2015, when the then Deputy Director Army Public Relations of 7 Division employed two civilian Mass Communication graduates as announcer and message translator respectively in local dialect. 

Apart from Maiduguri metropolis, the Lafiya Dole FM transmits to parts of Mafa, Konduga and Jere local government areas of Borno State, which were the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The mission of Radio Lafiya Dole is the restoration of peace and security in Maiduguri and the entire North-East region. This mission is embedded in most of its programmes, which dwell on security matters. They also broadly cover various aspects of human life such as health, sports, women and youth empowerment, religious guidance, entertainment and enlightenment.

About 50 per cent of Radio Lafiya Dole’s programmes are phone-in, aimed at encouraging the audience to participate in the discussions. It broadcasts over 20 programmes in English, Hausa and Kanuri. It broadcasts in two sessions: 6am to 2pm and 4 pm to midnight.

Among these programmes – Ya Aka Wayi Gari, jingles and messages on security, Gyara Kayanka, update from the Operation Lafiya Dole command, Labarin Wasanni, Amarya da Ango, Ndu Boko Haram Wo, Ndu Kanuri Wo, are popular among the audience, apart from the news bulletin in English. Its programmes have endeared it to an audience within a 40-kilometre radius.

Mohammed Madu, the ward head of Bulumkutu Kasuwa in Maiduguri metropolis, said he has been  listening to the Lafiya Dole FM for over a year now.

“The most interesting programme for me is Ya Aka Wayi Gari a Anguwar Ku. It is aired between 9am and 10am. It is a phone-in programme in which the people give report of the security situation in their vicinities. We call the presenter from our ward here and brief him of the security situation in the neighbouhood. We cooperate with ‘Yan Gora (Civilian JTF) to give the radio station the details of all aspects of security. But if they (‘Yan Gora) misbehave, we report them to the Operation Lafiya Dole through the FM station.

Another darling programme for the residents of our ward is Ka Fadi Alheri Ko Kayi Shiru, which is aired between 11am and noon. It is also a phone-in programme, during which a societal problem is picked as topic of discussion. Listeners call the available phone numbers to contribute on the topic. It is about the security of the neighbouhood, and parents are admonished to monitor the behaviours and movements of their children so that they don’t deviate and join bad groups such as Boko Haram. These are the only programmes I listen to before I focus on whatever I want to do in the day. They are all security-based.

“A lot of people are interested in the programmes. A testimony to this is the number of phone calls during every phone-in programme. Many callers even complain of not being given the chance to contribute. And this is because there are always too many contributors,” Mohammed said

Sadik Abba, a member of the Civilian JTF with Sector 2 of the military task force, also said, “I have listened to the station for about a year and half now. What interest me most is the update on Operation Lafiya Dole programmes, during which the theatre commander or his representative rolls out the victories achieved by the military on Boko Haram. We are gladdened by the military’s victories over the militants, which are also rolled out in the news programme. 

“There are also jingles and messages on security. Tips on security are rolled out so that residents would know how to protect themselves from attacks. Very importantly, the jingles educate the public on how to detect an insurgent or any criminal among them.

“There is also a very good programme that educates the public on how to conduct a search on someone, and how you can detect that someone is carrying a bomb or any injurious object. But I cannot remember its name now. That programme has educated me so much on how to carry out my job as a member of the Civilian JTF. Now, if I see someone moving in any direction or approaching me, I know where to look at on his or her body, and I know where to check for the weapon on him. I don’t have to check from head to toe. There are specific places that require my concentration to know whether you are carrying a bomb or any suspicious material or not.

“This programme has educated majority of the youth, especially the Civilian JTF. It has become our school because it has educated us immensely on how to conduct searches on suspicious elements.’’

Also speaking, Abdullahi Mustapha, the manager of the FM station said, “Since the Boko Haram group make use of the media to unleash terror and propaganda and instill fear in the populace, the military also deemed it necessary to establish a radio station to counter whatever they dish out. This is why the Radio Lafiya Dole FM station was established by the Nigerian Army.

“On the day of its commissioning, you may have heard that in due course, its transmission would broaden to cover other neighbouring states of the North-East. Now, it is heard within the radius of 40 kilometers. We receive commendations from the audience daily,” he said.