Ex-Army Spokesman Warns Boko Haram’s Biggest Threat is Now Propaganda and Disinformation Targeting Public Confidence

A new assessment of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts has pinpointed a critical shift in the nature of the conflict, with Brigadier-General Sani Usman (retd.), the former Director of Army Public Relations, asserting that battling Boko Haram’s propaganda and disinformation network represents the most significant challenge facing the Nigerian Armed Forces today, Saturday, November 8, 2025.

Speaking on the sidelines of a security forum in Abuja, the retired General argued that while sustained kinetic operations have greatly reduced the insurgents’ ability to hold territory, the terror groups including Boko Haram and its splinter, ISWAP have successfully migrated their operations to the psychological and information domains.

“The kinetic battle, though hard, is measurable. Our biggest challenge now is the non-kinetic space the sophisticated use of propaganda and disinformation to undermine the entire security architecture,” General Usman stated.

Weaponizing Social Media

Usman explained that the terror cells are masters of psychological warfare, leveraging social media platforms to disseminate toxic ideologies, radicalize potential recruits, and create a false narrative of invincibility. This disinformation is specifically engineered to achieve two primary objectives: to deter and demoralize troops on the frontlines and to erode public confidence in the government’s capacity to secure the nation.

He noted that isolated incidents of military setbacks are often heavily edited and sensationalized by the insurgents’ media units, projecting an image of greater strength than they possess. This strategy allows them to “win the battle of ideas” even when their physical territory and command structures are being dismantled.

Need for a Coordinated Counter-Narrative

The retired General stressed that defeating this information war requires a comprehensive, coordinated national effort that goes beyond military communiques.

“We need a national counter-narrative strategy,” he insisted. “This is not just the Army’s job; it requires active participation from government agencies, religious leaders, educational institutions, and the media to flood the information space with credible, positive messaging and proactively debunk the terrorists’ lies.”

He concluded that until Nigeria effectively counters the ideological and psychological warfare waged by the insurgents, achieving total victory will remain elusive, as the recruitment pipeline and public fear will continue to be fueled by the terror groups’ slick disinformation machinery.