The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed a fine of N5 million each on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV, TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV), and NTA-Startimes Limited for broadcasting a documentary by the BBC Africa Eye titled, “Bandits Warlords Of Zamfara”.
Also fined the sum of N5 million was Trust Television Network (Trust TV) for the broadcast of another documentary titled, “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story”, which was aired by the station on March 5, 2022.
NBC made this disclosure in a statement titled: ‘NBC Sanction PayTV Platforms’ which was issued on Wednesday. August 3, 2022, and signed by its director-general, Balarabe Shehu Illela.
DigitalTimesNG recalls that last week Thursday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, noted that the Federal Government would sanction Trust TV and BBC for “terrorism glorification” in their documentaries.
Mohammed said the federal government was aware of the “unprofessional” documentary by the BBC Africa Eye, where interviews were granted to bandit warlords and terror gangs, thereby promoting “terror” in the country.
While acknowledging the need of educating, informing, and enlightening the public on issues bordering on developments and happenings within and outside the country, the Commission in the statement, advised broadcasters to be circumspect and deliberate in the choice and carriage of contents deleterious to Nigeria’s national security.
Consequently, NBC said the airing and carriage of these documentaries, contravened the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Sixth edition.
The relevant sections cited include “3.1.1: No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime; lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain an offensive reference to any person or organization, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity;
”3.12.2: The broadcaster shall not transmit a programme that incites or likely to incite to violence among the populace, causing mass panic, political and social upheaval, security breach and general social disorder; and
“3.11.2: The Broadcaster shall ensure that law enforcement is upheld at all times in a manner depicting that law and order are socially superior to, or more desirable than crime or anarchy.”
NBC said the imposed penalties on the broadcast media platforms and station were to be remitted not later than August 30, 2022.
While warning that failure to comply with this directive will lead to the imposition of a higher sanction as provided in the Code, the NBC enjoined broadcasters to be instruments of national unity and desist from falling into antics of using their platforms to promote and glamorise subversive elements and their activities.
“Please note that every broadcast station or platform is responsible for the content it transmits or transmitted on its platform, and shall be held liable for any content in violation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code,” the Commission added.
