The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says it’s undeterred by the Federal Government of Nigeria’s move to gag the media.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) slammed a N5million fine on the multimedia wing of Media Trust Limited for its “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story”.
The rest are Multichoice Nigeria Limited (DSTV owners), NTA-Startimes Limited, and Telcom Satellite Limited (TSTV) – N5million each.
The NBC said the fine was imposed because all the media entity violated the broadcasting code by airing documentaries on banditry and terrorism.
The authorities consider the visuals damaging, with citizens already furious about the country’s worsening insecurity further enraged.
Reacting the development, BBC insiders said the Nigerian government wanted the media to downplay the magnitude of the security crisis that plagued the nation.
They averred that the Nigerian government was trying to force the media to underreport the extent of damage done by non-state actors (NSAs).
“We published another one (documentary), and will do more because it’s about the people suffering”, Daily Post quoted one of the sources as saying.
“They (government) did not impose a fine on us because they knew they could not do so.
“What they can do is write to the agency that regulates us, the Office of Communications (Ofcom).
“They definitely would ask Ofcom to take disciplinary actions; they cannot do anything other than that.
“After Trust TV spoke with the victims, we interviewed the NSAs – Ado Aleru, the one turbaned, and Abu Sanni who led the Jangebe school attack,” the source said.