EndSARS: SERAP and 261 others drag NBC, Lai Mohammed to court for ‘illegal’ fines on AIT, Arise, Channels TV

Obinwannem News EndSARS: SERAP and 261 others drag NBC, Lai Mohammed to court for 'illegal' fines on AIT, Arise, Channels TV

• NBC has no legal authority – SERAP.

EndSARS: SERAP and 261 others drag NBC, Lai Mohammed to court for ‘illegal’ fines on AIT, Arise, Channels TV

The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, and Minister of Information and Culture Mr. Lai Mohammed have been dragged to court over the fines the commission placed on AIT, Arise TV, and Channels TV.

Obinwannem News had reported the announcement of ₦3 million fine, respectively, slammed against the trio telecasting stations, by the acting Director General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba; for what it termed “unprofessional coverage” of the anti-police brutality protest.

Last Friday at the Abuja Federal High Court, a lawsuit, in number FHC/ABJ/CS/1436/2020, was jointly filed by a popular rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), 261 concerned Nigerians, civil society organisations, including media groups; to “declare arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional the ₦9million fines levelled against AIT, Arise and Channels TV over the or coverage of the #EndSARS protests, and to stop the NBC from collecting the money”.

SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the co-plaintiffs in the case include 255 concerned Nigerians, Premium Times Services Limited, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, HEDA Resource Centre, International Centre for Investigative Reporting, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, and Media Rights Agenda. Whereas, the acting director-general of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, is joined in the suit as defendant.

The plaintiffs argued that, “the action by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed is arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional, as it is contrary to section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Nigeria has ratified. Their action is apparently aimed to clampdown on media freedom and Nigerians’ human rights.

“The NBC, being a regulatory body, is not empowered by law to act as the prosecutor and the judge; all at the same time. We humbly urge the court to set aside the unlawful and unconstitutional fines imposed on independent media houses, and to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigerians’ human rights, media freedom, and the rule of law.

The plaintiffs further requested an ‘order of perpetual injunction’ restraining the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed from imposing fines or doing anything whatsoever to “harass Channels, AIT, and Arise TV and any other radio and television broadcast stations, in violation of the section 6[1] & [6][b], 22, 36[1], and 39 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, Article 9 of the African Charter of the on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.

“If the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed are allowed to continue to use these oppressive provisions against independent media in the guise of performing their statutory duties, the end result will be authoritarianism and denial of freedom and liberty,” they warned.

Mazi Ozoemela Chikwas reporting, Obinwannem News

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