A Federal high court in Abuja has ruled that the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) lacked the constitutional power to fine media houses as it issues an order of perpetual injunction restraining recurrence.
Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on while ruling on the lawsuit filed by Media Rights Agenda(MRA) stated that NBC being an administrative body created by the federal government to regulate broadcast stations lacked any authority to wield judicial powers available only to the court of law and cannot impose fine on media houses as it ran afoul of the constitution.
The court also noted that such action also contravenes Article 7 of the African Union’s Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
MRA a media advocacy group had filed a lawsuit asking the court to reverse the fines imposed on AriseTV; Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV; TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV); Trust-TV Network Limited; and NTA Startimes Limited in 2022 for airing a documentary exposing the principal actors behind banditry in Zamfara State.
The court also issued a significant order of perpetual injunction restraining NBC or anyone acting on its behalf from further imposing fines on any media platform or broadcast station in Nigeria for alleged offences under the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
This new ruling further protects media houses in Nigeria from repression and extortion from regulatory bodies as NBC had been earlier reported to target 328.9 million naira in revenue from fines on media houses in the country this year.
Journalists, media practitioners and media houses have always been the victims of harassment, persecution, repression and extortion by bad actors which sometimes include state actors.
