Press Centre criticises NBC over N5m fine levied on Trust TV for terrorist documentaries - Ripples Nigeria
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Press Centre criticises NBC over N5m fine levied on Trust TV for terrorist documentaries

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Lai Mohammed

The International Press Center (IPC) on Wednesday, expressed its displeasure with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the N5 million fine levied on Trust TV following the broadcast of a documentary titled “Nigeria’s banditry: The inside story” on the country’s state of insecurity.

The imposition was referred to as an “arbitrary fine” by the IPC in a statement by Melody Lawal, its press freedom officer.

She reaffirmed that the banditry destroying Nigeria and daily jeopardising the lives and property of the populace was not a product of the media and should be reminded of by the Federal Government, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and the NBC.

The NBC accused the stations of endangering national security and praising the criminal operations of bandits in a statement released on Wednesday by its Director General, Balarabe Illela.

Illela stated that the fines must be paid by August 30, 2022, and that failing to do so will result in the imposition of a greater penalty.

Read also: NBC fines Trust TV N5m for alleged ‘glorification’ of terrorism

However, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigerian Union of Journalists, and other professional organisations supporting freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the nation were urged by the IPC to “rise in unanimity in protest of this new development and antagonism by the administration.”

The statement further noted, “In the circumstance, the IPC considers the fine imposed on Trust TV an act of injustice, an assault on media freedom and a violation of the right of the people to know the truth about the dynamics of banditry in the country and the decision should therefore be reversed”, the statement quoted the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, as saying.

“It is unacceptable that NBC, funded by taxpayers’ money and expected to act in the public interest, would continuously exhibit the symptoms of the government attack dog once the Information Minister blows the whistle.”

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